


I'm With You

by Lilyanna32



Category: Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: -Castle Town, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe Post Calamity, Breath of the Wild-, F/M, Family, Fanfiction, Faron Woods, Festivals, Hateno Village, Horses, Humor, Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village, Link and Zelda have a friendship first, Link's POV, Love, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Slow Burn, The Great Plateau, Zelda's POV, daily life, personal feelings, written in first person, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-04 09:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 168,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13361766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilyanna32/pseuds/Lilyanna32
Summary: Zelda, who is a regular girl who has been traveling the country, stops in Hateno Village and competes in an archery contest where she meets a handsome young man named Link. She thinks she has it in the bag until he shows her that she isn't the only one with some skill. - Leads to Link & Zelda traveling Hyrule together. - BoTW ZeLink - Link and Zelda alternating First Person PoV.





	1. A Nice First Impression

Disclaimer I don't even know if is necessary, but everyone else does it...Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo, duh. That applies to every chapter of this story. 

I'm With You

Chapter 1

A Nice First Impression

Zelda's PoV

Today is the Hateno Village Archery Contest. I wasn't aware such an event was happening when I arrived in this town two weeks ago, but when I learned of an archery contest I couldn't pass it up. I am quite skilled with a bow. I wouldn't say that I'm the best archer or anything, but I know that I am pretty good.

I was especially excited when I found out the cash prize first place gets. A bag of ten silver rupees. That would set me comfortably for a while.

So I'm standing with the rest of the participants. There are seventeen of us. A wide open clearing sits about a quarter mile below the village that's actually a course for another event they hold earlier in the year, but it's the perfect area for archery as well. A large wood panel sits in the middle of the clearing. On three sides of that, there are targets set up for the rounds we will be competing in. One by one, all the contestants will step onto it and take their turn at the targets. Everyone that is there to spectate will stand behind us to watch. I have no doubt that I will do well as I have done well in every contest like this in central and eastern Hyrule. Hopefully, lady luck will be on my side this time as well.

I watch with interest as each person takes their shot and there are only a few people who catch my eye. Then it is my turn. I see someone pointing at me and gasping, but I am not suprised that they recognize me. I have quite the reputation, every once in a while I meet someone who knows me. But, I am not going into that right now, that's a story for another time.

I take my bow in my hands and close my eyes for a second before I pull an arrow out of my quiver and put it in place. With an experienced hand, I slowly draw the string back and open my eyes. Aiming carefully and picturing my arrow landing where I want it, I let go. The arrow sails through the air and I hit my mark.

Perfect shot. Easy peasy.

I hear couple people clap and some mutter to their companions. They say things like "wow," and "she's good," but those things don't really matter to me. I don't participate in competitions or contests for the fame anymore because I don't really care to be noticed. I'm only here to show my skills off, and of course, for the prize money. I honestly only want to win because I've been saving up to buy the beautiful saddle in the shop downtown for my horse. If I win, I'll be able to buy it with no problem with plenty of money left over.

After my turn is up, I go to stand with the rest of my opponents. But something catches my eye as I walk by, a golden bow with that is carved into elegant feathers at the tip of the limbs. It shines in the sunlight with a gleam and I quickly look to see who is holding it. There, standing in front of me, is a guy who looks about my age. He has shoulder length dark blonde hair that's tied into a ponytail in the back. He's a hylian, like me, and he's of well the built type, as I can clearly see the muscles of his arms and the outline of his body through his clothes. He's a inch or two taller than me and I can't help but think he's quite handsome.

He steps on to the wooden platform and I watch as he lifts his bow and arrow and draws the string back and I see the muscles in his arm tense for a split second. He doesn't hesitate before letting his arrow fly. But instead of hitting the next target, his arrow flies into the same one mine did. It hits the back of my arrow and splits the shaft down the middle. His arrow head makes a quick metal on metal noise before sinking into the center of the bulls-eye just to the side of mine.

I hear gasps and see people pointing right after this happens. Even I am impressed. This is the first time I have ever seen anyone do such a thing, but what surprises me the most is that he did it so effortlessly. Everyone claps and cheers. A couple men walk over and clap him on the back or shake his hand. They praise him with grins and excited chatter. Whoever his guy is, he accepts their words with a smile then stands with the rest of us.

Standing there I cross my arms as I look at him. Who is he? I've never seen such skill in my life. I go on being impressed for a second then the small smile on my lips dips into a frown. He could take the winning pot from me with that type of skill. I make myself relax as that was only the first round of the contest which means I still have a good chance.

The top ten people are told to step forward for the second round, I'm the only woman. The host tells us that we must hit five targets twice the distance as the first which will be no problem. I still have my cool even if the new guy in town has just stolen my thunder. I stand and watch the first three people go. The first man hits three of the targets with ease but slips up on the two and the other two guys are hardly able to hit the background of their targets.

I hear the host of the contest say his name this time. Link. I have never met someone with that name before, it's unique and I like it.

I stand with one hand on my hip and my bow in the other and I watch as Link takes his place on the shooting platform. He takes more time to calculate his shots this time. I watch him closely as he shoots, his form is nearly perfect as he pulls back the string for each arrow. Each of his arrows hits it's target easily and he makes it look effortless just like before. I'm going to have to really try to win over him.

Once he steps off the platform he looks over his shoulder at me. He gives me a smile before turning and standing to the side and for a small moment, I'm dazzled by the blue of his eyes but I quickly clear my head. I need all of my concentration for this. I need to win. I take a deep breath and let it out through my nose. This is my game, I won't let some pretty blue-eyed boy beat me.

I take my time between targets. My first arrow hits spot on, nice. My second strays an inch to the left which is alright, not too bad, and my third and fourth arrow land where I want them as well. Four down and I am doing great. I breathe in through my nose and exhale as I let my last arrow fly. My heart drops as I see it hit lower than I intended and it looks like it barely hit the red, and it's touching the background of the target.

Damn. That's not good.

I turn and walk the opposite way from where my opponents are standing. I hold one end of my bow between my fingers as the other end rests on my boot as everyone else takes their turns. After that, it's several minutes before the host announces the third and final round. Five if us are called forward. Me, Link, and three other guys. We must shoot ten targets this time.

I'm the last of us to go. The first two guys don't do very well, their luck has apparently run short. The third man does significantly better than they did, but I'm not worried about him like the others because it Link is clearly my only competition. I don't watch him shoot this time because my nerves are already rattled and I don't need to know how well he does. I need all my wits about me and from personal experience, I know not knowing how well my opponent does will help me relax when it's my turn to take up my bow. I listen to the distant sound of arrow heads hitting planks of wood and after I've counted ten, I wait for them to call my name before I turn around.

Stepping up onto the wood platform I take my bow in my hands. I know I can do this. I take my time and hit every target well into the red and am left feeling relieved. I hope I score well enough.

A couple minutes later the judges are ready to announce the winner. All five of us are called over to the wooden platform. A man named Pruce is given third place as the other two walk off in obvious defeat. Link and I stand on each side of the three-by-five foot shooting platform. I don't look at him as we stand there, but I can see in my peripheral vision that he is looking at me. I pretend not to notice.

The host steps in the middle between us and he crowd looks to the three of us in anticipation. I tell myself that it doesn't matter if I lose as I will still get the prize rupees for second place, but I still pray that I hear my name. First place is better than second, after all.

"The winner of this year's Hateno Village Archery Contest is...Link!"

My heart sinks a bit but I remind myself that I didn't actually need this win. I just really wanted it. I'm not the type to get sad and teary eyed because I lost, so instead, I turn to the man beside me and smile holding my hand out.

"You're not bad. Congratulations." I say.

"You were great yourself." Link says as he takes my hand and shakes it firmly. His hand is rough in my own but that's not really unexpected, my own aren't exactly as soft and supple as they should be either as I've spent nearly every day of my life holding a weapon. I'm pretty proficient in wielding a short sword as well, but I am certainly better at shooting a bow.

Link gives me a dashing smile and I feel my insides melt. He looks at me with beautiful blue eyes and my heart flutters in my chest before I feel my cheeks burn a little bit. It's been a while since anyone's had this effect on me.

I let go of his hand and put my bow on my back before turning to accept my second place reward of ten purple rupees, which honestly isn't bad at all, that's still a lot of money.

As I walk away I attempt to relax my fluttering heart. A warm feeling has filled my chest and I can't stop picturing his beautiful blue eyes and his handsome smile. Today was the first time I've ever seen him but yet, my mind won't let him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm With You" is also posted under my Fanfiction.net account of the same user name: Lilyanna32  
> x.x.x  
> I'm With You is an Alternate Universe, BoTW story about Zelda, who is a regular girl who has been traveling the country. She stops in Hateno Village and competes in an archery contest where she meets a handsome young man named Link. It's a story of how she decides to let him into her life, and in return, how she changes his life. Hyrule is free of monsters and guardians where most people live in harmony. It's set to be far into the future after the Calamity happens.
> 
> This story is written back and forth between Link and Zelda's point of views. I decided to write this way to show who they are, how they feel, and how they see the world. This story is written by day to day to show how their every day lives are. It might be slow burning, but I take my time letting them get to know each other and to also have them interact with the many characters they meet along their adventures.
> 
> So far, this story is full of: personal feelings, slice of life moments, making new friends, having fun on little adventures, visiting family, traveling to villages and towns, special events and parties, little flirty- sweet and (I try to) humor moments, in depth personal backstories, and so much more. There is fluff, I admit there may even be a lot, but there are some serious moments and scenarios mixed in later chapters that build Link and Zelda to be stronger and more complex individuals. (That's what I strive for at least.) A lot of that is tied into their backstories.
> 
> I put a lot of time into this story to make it the best I know how, spending hours and hours of writing and editing, going back and forth. This story will probably be quite long. I don't know how many chapters, but I have ideas stacked on top of ideas for the future. I've updated weekly ever since my very first chapter and I keep a very well managed schedule of having chapters ready ahead of time, so I'll always update regularly unless I have a real life unavoidable circumstance come up. Therefore, if you stick with me, know that I'll never leave you hanging as I plan to finish this story for definite sure. I'm excited to share many, many ideas with everyone who will read.
> 
> Thank you giving my story a shot. You're amazing. :)


	2. That Lovely Afternoon

Chapter 2

That Lovely Afternoon

Link's PoV

I heard about the Hateno Village Archery Contest about three weeks ago. The decision to go was hardly even one at all. I'd heard that the town is handing out a handsome reward for the winner and on top of that, I quite enjoy the village of Hateno. It's a bit out of the way from any other town, but I happen to live in Kakariko and it's only about half a day's walk from there so I thought, why not? But walking wasn't something I had to do, I took my best friend in the whole world, Epona. Anyway, I'm here waiting for the event to start.

Standing in front of me is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She's got long, gold-blonde hair tied into a ponytail and flawless pale skin. Her eyes are emerald green and breathtaking. She's tall and has a slim figure and she wears an armless dark purple shirt, black pants, and knee high black boots. Her ears are pierced twice with two gold studs in each ear.

The host of the event introduces her as Zelda, which is a pretty name that I think suits her.

I watch as she steps onto the shooting platform and readies her now before she draws a arrow from her quiver and places it in a fluid movement. Even this catches my eye as somehow, she's made even the basic nocking of an arrow look elegant. She pulls her bow string back and I notice she has as tattoo on her left shoulder of a small owl with it's wings spread in black ink. I can see lean muscle in her arm for a second before her arrow flies and hits in a perfect shot.

I decide I'm going to make her notice me. When she steps off I take my spot on the platform. I'm supposed to shoot my own target but I lift my bow and quickly shoot the same one she did making my arrow split hers in half. I look over to her and see that she's not looking at me, but her face shows clear shock at what she sees. She can't believe it, good, that's what I was going for. She turns quickly and walks away and her ponytail bounces behind her.

The next round starts and I shoot my arrows. I hardly have to try to hit the targets, it's so easy. I wait for her walk up to the platform before I step off of it. Our eyes meet for a second and I smile. I've been told that my smile is my greatest weapon when comes to the ladies. One of my friends here in Hateno always tells me to put it away. She says: "You're a lady killer."

Is that really such a bad thing?

I see Zelda's cheeks flush a little pink and her eyes dart away from mine and know I've caught her. Standing ten feet from the platform I enjoy watching her shoot. She's calm and reserved as she lifts her bow, taking each arrow slowly and aiming it carefully. I don't bother watching where her arrows hit. Her shoulders slump after her last shot and her cool expression falls into disappointment so I finally take a look at her targets. It's quickly obvious why she looks upset, the last one is bordering on on the red bulls-eye and the brown of the wood and she won't get a very good score on it.

When five of us are called up as the finalists we have one more round to go. This time we must ten targets. The distance is the same as the second round and I'm fourth to go. Out of the corner of my eye I notice that Zelda is facing the opposite way and she isn't watching, bummer. I give it my all and hit every target in the red and then it's her turn. She shoots with precision skill hitting them all as well as I did and I can't tell which of us will win.

I know that Zelda and I are going to be the two finalists before the judges tell us they are ready. One of the men did alright, but everyone on this field knows that the competiton belongs to me and the beautiful woman standing a few feet away. When we are both called for the results of the contest we stand next to each other. The host draws it out for several seconds to bring in the spectators' attention before he announces me as the winner and everyone claps and cheers.

Zelda looks a bit dejected but she covers it up with a smile as she turns to me. Her voice is soft when she speaks, telling me that I'm not too bad. I give her a compliment in return as I shake her awaiting hand. A warm tingle shoots up my arm at the touching of our hands and I give her the best smile I've got and I feel her hand tremble slightly in mine. Her cheeks go bright red as she blushes and I let go.

I watch her accept her second place reward and then start walking down the road leading to Hateno Village. The mayor of the town hands me a small wallet of ten silver rupees and I thank him gratefully. I wonder how much Zelda made as my eyes drift to her form as she gets farther and farther away down the road.

A feeling washes over me as I watch her walk away. I want to talk to her again. Her beauty has captivated me and I wish to see her face again even though it has only been a couple minutes. But it's not just because she's drop dead gorgeous that I feel this way, I've never met a woman with her skills with a bow. She's seriously impressed me and I want to know more about her.

I put the rupees in my pocket before putting the hood of my jacket up and start walking after her. I jog a little to catch up but stay a ways back because I assume she's probably sore under her smile. If it wasn't for me, she would have won. That's the reason I stay back, to give her a few more minutes to relax. The sun is starting to lower in the late afternoon sky above the woods we walk through, and it's beginning to get darker outside and the trees cast shadows over the road.

When we get by the small grove of trees by the village she stops in the middle of the road. I duck behind a tree out of sight quickly, I'm not sure why I'm suddenly hiding from her but my body's moved before I know it. A couple seconds later I peek around the side and find her no where in sight. Shrugging, I continue walking into the village. I hear a footstep behind me but it's too late for me to react before I have a knife to my throat from behind. The cold steel presses against my jugular.

"What do you want?"

I'd recognize that voice anywhere. Huh, I knew she didn't go far. I find that I have underestimated her and am struck impressed with her for a second time today. I hadn't been looking around for her and that was my obvious mistake, but still I wasn't expecting this at all.

"You can let go. I'm not going to do anything to you."

Zelda doesn't let me go so I grab her wrist and jerk it away from my neck. With my other hand open, I hit the flat side of her knife with the back of my hand and her knife goes flying away from us onto the ground. I take her by surprise and swing around her twisting her arm behind her back but I don't apply pressure to the hold, as I don't want to hurt her. I keep my voice calm and even when I speak.

"I'm not going to hurt you, alright?"

"Well let me go, then." She snaps at me.

I do and she spins around and backs away a couple feet. Recognition spreads across her face when she sees me and her mouth gapes open and closed a couple times.

"You! What? Why are you following me like a creep?"

I open my mouth to say I wasn't but then I see her case and point. A: I'm following her in a black hood, and B: I hid from her like I had something else on my mind. Idiot. I curse at myself silently, of course she would jump to that conclusion.

"Look, you've got it wrong. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

Zelda stares at me for several seconds before closing her eyes and letting out a sigh.

"Alright. I forgive you. So...what do you want?"

"I want to talk to you, will you join me for dinner?"

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I stopped when I realized someone was following me, I could hear their footsteps in the quiet of the forest. I glanced back and saw a figure slip behind a tree so I took the opportunity to hide myself, then when he had walked out and I hadn't been able to see his face because of his hood. Sneaking up on him had been easy, almost too easy. I suppose using my knife to threaten him might have been a bit outrageous, but it could have been anyone and the last person I expecting it to be was him. Besides, you can never be too careful while traveling on the road, as there could always be someone with ill intentions or dangerous animals lurking around.

I stepped away from him quickly in surprise. Standing there in the afternoon light was the man I had just lost to, Link. The man I couldn't stop thinking about as I made my way back to Hateno. I'd attacked him, but to be fair he had been being suspicious. Why had he hidden from me? Why not just come up to me and talk? Jeez, it's not like I would have ran away or something. He was so fast disarming me that I hadn't seen it coming. I wasn't expecting him to do something as bold as break out of my hold and pin me. I especially didn't expect it since I had a knife held to his throat. That move he used on me was one I hadn't seen before and I realize that it would be a good one to know should I ever get myself into such a situation. It seems that Mr. Dashing Smile is more than I thought.

I consider his question. He wants to have dinner with me? I give him another look down.

Link has on a dark blue shirt under his black jacket and brown pants and boots. Right after he let me go he had taken off his hood off when I backed away from him. I see the hilt of a sword I didn't realize he had before along with the tip of his golden bow over his shoulder. I look in his sky blue eyes and am unable to detect any deceit in them. I pick my dagger off the ground and place it back in the leather holder on my thigh.

"Okay."

His face lights up as a look of relief passes across it and I assume that he had been worried I was mad at him for following behind me like he had. Honestly, I kind of am, but he apologized for it and I'm a pretty forgiving person. Link seems sincere and honest as well and I can tell just by the look on his face that he never meant me in any harm.

I realize another dumb fact of the moment as we stand there as well. I can't deny that I'm happy to see him so soon, and I feel ridiculous for feeling that way.

The two of us make our way through the stone gate and walk through Hateno Village. We don't speak at all until we are inside The Rusty Horseshoe, which is the tavern next door to The Great Ton Pu Inn. I walk inside without asking if he agrees, as there's no where else to eat in this village. We sit at a table in the back corner and a waitress comes over to us. I order the Mushroom Rice Balls and Link gets the special of the day: Meat Stuffed Pumpkin. I've had both meals before, and I have to say that the food here is quite phenomenal for a small village.

I find that I've been spacing out when I hear Link saying my name.

"Zelda?"

"Yes?" I answer him.

"Where did you learn to shoot?"

"My father taught me."

"He taught you well. I was surprised to see that you were so good. Almost as good as myself."

He sounds a bit conceited, but I wave it off since he demonstrated some serious skill out there. I give credit to those who deserve it.

"Thank you. I was a bit off today, though. But I do have to say that you are pretty good, like I said earlier."

I'd like to say that that was all that was wrong with me during the contest, but I'd lying. I was distracted by him. The way he was watching me shoot and the way he had smiled at me had thrown me off ridiculously. I bite the inside of my cheek as I recall how I felt standing on the contest shooting platform. I really do believe I could have beaten him if I were in my right mind.

"What about you? Where did you learn?"

"I learned from the men in Kakariko Village. The Sheikah are excellent warriors. Have you been to that village?"

"I passed through it before I came here. It's a beautiful place, peaceful and tranquil."

Link nodded. "I'm lucky to have grown up there."

We talk some more before the waitress comes back with our meals. I'm careful about what I say as I am always wary around people that I don't know. I'm not exactly a social person, either. I normally keep to myself. But, little by little, I start to feel more relaxed. I mostly listen to Link talk about himself and every once in a while I find myself staring into his eyes and just nodding. Then I blink and realize what is happening but I can't help it, and it doesn't help that his eyes are so pretty. I feel my cheeks warming as that thought worms itself into my mind again. The more I look into his eyes the more I believe that he could be a a good person, his eyes hold the look of someone with a good heart.

No. Stop it. Just because he is good looking doesn't mean you need to go into dream land. You don't know him! Stop being delusional! Wake up, Zelda. I scold myself. That doesn't mean I can trust him, but I can talk to him. I don't have to hole up on my side of the table. Plus, I'm beginning to feel quite bad that I'm not saying much, so I open up and tell him a bit about myself.

"I left home to travel Hyrule a year ago and it was the best thing I ever did. I love being on the road and seeing new places, it's exhilarating, but I have to admit that it can be scary sometimes."

"I agree. I'm a bit of a traveler myself. Where did you grow up?"

"I'm from Lurelin Village."

"I've been there once, it seemed very nice."

I'm distracted for a couple seconds by that. He's been to Lurelin? I have to wonder if it was when I was still home but then I think that couldn't be as I would have probably met him. Lurelin Village isn't very big.

"When were you in Lurelin?"

"About a year ago. Funny, it's a small place but I don't remember seeing you."

"We probably just missed each other."

"Why did you leave?"

"Well, Lurelin is really nice. The ocean and beaches are breathtaking and my life was great, but something always seemed to be missing. Traveling had always been a dream of mine. I was sad to leave my home but I knew if I didn't then I wouldn't see the world."

"I feel the same about Kakariko Village, but since it is pretty central it never seems too far away. Do you miss Lurelin?"

"All the time. I miss my family too. But I send them letters a lot so they know I am doing well. Someday when I've been all the places I dream of seeing I will go back home to them. Do you miss your family when you're away?"

Link doesn't answer me for several seconds and begin to wonder if I had hit a touchy subject. His lips lift in a small smile before he answers.

"I lost most of my family when I was little, but I have a lot of friends in Kakariko. They are always on my mind when I am out on my own. Are you ever lonely when you're on the road, Zelda?"

It's my turn to go quiet for a minute because yes, I am very lonely sometimes. I pass by groups of two or three people every so often and I wish a lot that I had someone to keep me company.

"Yeah, but I always have my best friend, my horse, and she is a great comfort to me."

Link smiles at me and I feel that silly warm feeling again. I wring my fingers together under the table nervously. Why does he make me feel this way? I hardly even know Link, but just a smile from him turns my insides to mush, and it's beginning to get really aggravating. I've let my guard down so much to a guy I've known for less than two hours.

The two of us sit there in the tavern long after both our plates were empty. There is a sort of strange peace in the air around us as we sit there together. I open up more and more as we talk and I find that I really like him. Link is funny, sarcastic, and all around great company. Talking to him is really fun and we both laugh loudly in our corner of the tavern on more than a couple occasions. We order dessert as well at some point, a slice of apple pie for him, and for me my absolute favorite: fruitcake. We just keep going on and on about our adventures, the people we met, and the places we've seen. It's so nice to talk to someone like this and I have a smile on my lips well into the evening.


	3. Spending Time

Chapter 3

Spending Time

-Zelda's PoV-

It was eight-thirty by the time I left the tavern. I began my walk up the hill to Purah's house, where I've been staying for the past two weeks. I met her the first day I arrived in Hateno, there was this man who was giving her some very unwanted attention. I could see clearly on her face that she wasn't comfortable around him. Also, I could very clearly both sides of the conversation.

"Go away, creep! I'm not interested in doing anything with you."

But the man hadn't left her alone so I stepped in. He had forgotten all about Purah when he saw me and he started hitting on me heavily. There was the scent of liquor on his breath, I told him to get lost. Instead, he told me all about himself and how he would give me a good time if I came back to his place. Disgusted, I looked for a way out of this situation. I noticed he had a sword on his back so I told him to come outside with me, Purah had followed us to the door.

When I got outside I drew my sword and told him if he could beat me in a sword fight I would go on a date with him the next night, so he agreed. I knew that it wouldn't be a fair fight by any means, but I was in the mood to teach some idiot not to mess with women who didn't want his attention. I disarmed him easily and stuck the tip of my short sword a few inches from the crook of his neck and he had surrendered without another word.

After that Purah had asked me who I was. She was impressed and very, very grateful to me. She said that I could stay with her as long as I was in town instead of renting a bed in the inn. I took her offer as it would save me a lot of money.

This wasn't the first time I wished the young woman of twenty-five lived down in town with everyone else. What crazy person builds a house on top of a mountain anyway?! But I couldn't complain, Purah was letting me stay in her house for free out of the kindness of her heart.

The walk up that hill is more of a hike so I'm panting for breath halfway up. I don't usually get so exhausted climbing the long slanted road up the mountain, so it must be because I just ate and I'm hiking on a very full belly. I've also been sitting in a hard wooden chair for about two and a half hours which is never a good idea. My legs cramped up as soon as I stood in the tavern and now I'm regretting it even more. With wobbly legs I sit down in the grass and look over the village below me. The sun is almost gone behind the horizon and the sunset colors are fading away with it. I sit there for quite a while the stars start appearing one by one. I admire the village below when the sun disappears completely behind the horizon, it's lit up with the soft light of lanterns outside and lit up windows. Standing up, my legs decide to hold me without pain and I make my way up the rest of the mountain.

After opening the door to Purah's house, I find her sitting at the picnic style table. She turns her head and then jumps up off the bench just as I close the door. Purah quickly crosses the room before starting a barrage of excited chatter.

"Zelda! I was there at the shooting contest this afternoon. I had no idea that you were that good of an archer. I don't know what those judges were thinking, because you blew Linky out of the park. I saw you and him standing on the shooting platform. He smiled at you and your face went red as a tomato."

Linky?

I stare at the shorter girl in horror. I'm sure that my face is becoming as red a "tomato" again, the tips of my ears even feel warm. Purah stares at me grinning ear to ear. Sometimes, it's like she has never grown out of her teenage years because she gushes over things so over-dramatically. Her looks kind of remind of younger girl as well. Purah wears her long white hair in a big bun on top of her head with bangs and two short braids coming down in front of her ears, accompanied by big round red glasses that frame her large red eyes. But regardless of her appearance I have to admit that she looks adorable like that.

I don't say anything as I am too flustered to make a coherent sentence. Had everyone saw me blushing like that? Oh great, that meant that Link saw me blushing like that up close when I had shook his hand. Feeling even more embarrassed than before I sit down at Purah's picnic table and bury my face in my arms.

Goddess Hylia, what's wrong with me? I'm never like this around guys!

Purah came over and sat next to me.

"I'm dying, leave me be." I muttered. Purah giggled.

"It's okay, Zelda. You should know that Link only gives that type of smile to certain girls. He's shy most of the time. But, man, he was showing off for you today! Did you even notice?"

Showing off for me? Yeah, right. Why would he do that? We hadn't even spoken a word to each other at that point, we were just opponents in a contest. He was simply doing his best to win.

"You're over-exaggerating again, Purah."

"I don't think so." She says, getting up and thankfully leaving me be.

I don't leave that table till my face stops burning. I can't stop thinking of her words.

x.x.x

Link's PoV 

I stretch as I wake up on the bed. I stayed the night at the inn next door to the tavern, spending extra money on one of the soft Rito featherbeds upstairs simply because I could. With the all the rupees I made yesterday it didn't matter. Last night I paid for Zelda's meal even though she heavily insisted that it wasn't necessary, but she thanked me and told me that she had to go. I spent another hour in the tavern drinking before making my way to the lovely bed I'm laying on. I can't remember the last time I had such a good night's sleep.

So worth the money.

I regretfully get up even though I would like to lay in the feather soft bed all day. Nobody is around stop me from doing so, but I know I have to get up. I've got an idea, and it can't wait till later or I may be too late.

I put my boots back on and retrieve my things from the girl behind the counter downstairs. Zelda told me she was staying at a friend's house last night and I know everyone in this town from my frequent trips through the years. Too bad that she hadn't said who and I hadn't thought to ask. I walk out the double doors of the inn and hope that she didn't decide to leave Hateno yet.

I decide to go next door to the tavern for breakfast. The Rusty Horseshoe serves food all day, but alcohol doesn't start till six pm. I order the Mushroom Omelet and the waitress brings me a tall glass of milk that I didn't ask for along with it. I accept it gratefully and thank her, before downing half of it at once as I love milk. I leave her a red rupee as a tip when I'm done, which is three times as much than my meal even cost so she's going to be happy to find it. I know, that's a lot even for good service and free cup of milk, but hey I'm feeling generous...and wealthy. Damn, I've never been so rich.

I open the door of the tavern after calling out "Thanks for the meal." But I don't make it out the door before I'm jolted backwards as someone throws their full body weight into me from the front. I choke on her white hair before I hear the unmistakably familiar, loud ecstatic voice.

"Linky! It's been so long. I saw you participate in the archery contest. You were great! Have you been in Kakariko? How's my little sister? Is she still head over heels blushy for you? I bet she is."

"Whoa, slow down Purah. Let me take a seat first."

Purah nods and grabs me by the hand and starts dragging me backwards making me stumble over my feet. She pulls me to the first empty table with two chairs and practically shoves me down into one. Taking the other chair she pulls it without picking it up so it makes a ear-bleeding screech across the hardwood floor, and then around the table next to me before sitting down. I see the waitress behind her scowl in our direction and I give her a weak smile in apology. Good thing I left that good tip because the peace is about to be ruined in here. I'm glad the tavern is always nearly empty this time of morning.

Next to me, Purah is shaking in her chair and grinning. Damn, she still has all that bubbly energy, I'm never going to know where she gets it from. Purah has always been this eccentric ever since we met as kids.

"Well? Answer me." She squeaks.

"Yeah, I just came from Kakariko. Paya is doing fine and is still herself. But she doesn't seem to like me so much anymore since she found a boyfriend. So-"

Purah lets out a loud shriek of excitement. "Finally! She should have realized long ago that you don't like her that way. Or do you?"

I gave her a bored look as she knows the answer to that question. Paya is a really nice and sweet girl, but she's practically my sister. Purah grins and waves her rhetorical question away with her hand.

"Oh Linky, you know I'm just messing around with you. How have you been?"

"I've been great."

"You won that contest so easily yesterday. The only one who could have beaten you was Zelda. I saw you smiling at her like a ditz. Do you like her?" Purah says in a teasing voice.

"What? Of course not, I hardly know her."

"You only give that smile to pretty girls. You can't fool me."

I shake my head. It's just like Purah to come up with a ridiculous assumption like that. Although, I have to admit it's mostly correct. Maybe I don't "like" her yet, but I have the feeling that that might change. I keep my mouth shut before I can say something that would egg on the girl next to me, like the fact I spent a couple hours sitting with Zelda in this room last night. I'm glad that Purah does not know about that.

Purah goes on telling me everything that has happened in this town in the past two months. I sort of wonder why she decided to live in Hateno instead of Kakariko like ther rest of her family. Her house on the hill has to have something to do with it, or maybe that is exactly why. On top of "Purah's Mountain," as she has always called it, you can see for miles around in all directions. She has a view that simply cannot be matched. Waterfall, plains, a whole town, the ocean, and the entire Hateno Bay and beach from the back of her house. I asked her once how she had gotten to be the owner of it at the age of twenty-one. Purah simply said "The princess deserves her castle."

I asked Impa once and she told me that their family has owned that house for generations. When I asked why Purah got it, Impa responded with a laugh.

"Because she's the only one crazy enough to want to hike that hill every day!"

I have to say, that does make perfect sense. Besides, only Purah has the endless energy of a child.

As much as Purah's stories of Hateno Village entertain me, I want to leave. I lie and tell her that I have to go do a job for someone.

"Aw, well don't leave the village without saying goodbye to me. I'll cry."

"Don't worry, I won't."

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I make my way down the hill to the village. Purah had gotten up and left before I had even woke up. I sleep a lot more than I usually do since I am not on the road. I pick an apple from a tree and munch on it as I walk. Hateno Village is busy this time of morning at about nine am and everyone is already out and about. Shopkeepers opening their doors, farmers out in their gardens, and the children are coming out to play with their friends. A few people call out good morning to me and since I've been staying in this village for two weeks everyone knows me by name. I smile, wave, and return their morning greetings.

I make my way to the horse stables to check on my horse and the man running the stable greets me warmly. A minute later I'm with my beautiful white mare, Starlett. I rub her coat and greet her excitedly. I take a brush from the shelf inside the stall, that I left there a couple of days ago, and Starlett stands still as I groom her. If I had to say there was a princess of horses, it would be mine. She's the only pure white horse I've ever seen and I spend a lot of time keeping her coat beautiful and clean. Starlett is of calm temperament even though she is a solid colored horse. They say the less colors a wild horse has, the more aggressive they are. But, that's certainly not true for Starlett.

"I was hoping you hadn't left town yet."

Without turning around I know who it is. His voice is deep and soothing. I find it hard to forget voices that sound nice, and Link's voice is definitely nice.

"It's too early for me to leave just yet. I still have things to do in Hateno." I say without turning. My cheeks feel warm again as I remember what Purah told me. I certainly didn't think I had blushed that bad.

"Wait, is that your horse?" I hear Link say incredulously. I turn and nod.

"This is my beautiful best friend, Starlett."

Link walks over with a look of wonder on his face. He asks if he can touch her and I nod. He runs his hand across Starlett's neck and I think I know what he's thinking before he says it, and I'm right.

"She's gorgeous. Where did you get such a magnificent horse?"

"I was walking along a road northwest of Lurelin Village, looking across a field and Starlett was down there looking like a mythical creature. The sun shone off her white coat and I had to blink to make sure I was actually seeing her. I quietly walked closer hoping I wouldn't spook her, but Starlett looked at me and she didn't run, so I made my way down the hill silently and approached her. She let me get close so I reached out and touched her. I thought that she would definitely buck at me when I went to mount her but I got no resistance. She let me climb on her back as if she was tame and meant to be mine."

"At first I was sure that Starlett was someone else's horse. She didn't have a saddle on, but I thought maybe she got out of her stable and went off on her own. So I rode her around the area and looked for someone who might be looking for her. I even went to all the nearest stables and asked travelersn but everyone I met was shocked to see that I was riding a pure white horse. She didn't belong to anyone so I made her mine. Starlett's been my princess ever since."

I tell him this story while stroking my mare lovingly. I think of that memory a lot, it's one of the happiest and most magical ones I have. The moment I met my horse. It's like a fairy tail. I glance over at Link and see that his face holds an expression of awe. I smile and look back to Starlett.

x.x x

Link's PoV

I remember that Zelda told me she owned a horse. Well, of course she does, I can't picture her walking everywhere, especially since Lurelin Village is quite far away from Hateno. Anyway, I'm relieved to find her at Hateno Stable.

I can't believe the story I'm hearing. She caught this horse in the wild? And it stood still as if it was already hers? I want to believe her but it sounds so crazy and too good to be true. Either way, I listen intently as she tells me her story. I watch as she gives her horse all her attention as she speaks, her eyes are full of love for the animal and her fingers look so delicate as she runs them through Starlett's coat.

"That's amazing." I tell her. "I've never even heard of any wild horse ever doing that, and I've never seen a pure white steed either."

"She's one of a kind." Zelda says looking over to me. Her hair is down out it's ponytail so it shifts like a wave of silky gold in the morning sunlight, it's braided at her crown today.

"Would you like to go riding on the beach?" I ask.

"You have a horse?" She asks.

"I have an amazing horse."

I walk over to Epona's stall and put my hand on her head. Zelda walks over and takes a look at my brown and white beauty. "This is Epona."

"She's very lovely as well."

We grab our saddles and bridles and prepare our horses for the short trip to Hateno Beach. We leave through the back of the village and take a right instead of a left that would take us up to Purah's house and follow the worn down grass road towards the ocean.

It's been a while since I've been down here. My last couple of trips to Hateno I haven't taken the time to take a relaxing ride along the beach, but I figured Zelda would like to. The ocean is just as beautiful as I remember. Seagulls fly over the sparkling water, colorful crabs crawl across the sand, and the air is fresh and the wind is blowing softly.

We ride in silence along the edge of the water but the time that passes is not awkward. I look over and see that Zelda's eyes are closed as her horse walks down the beach. She doesn't need to watch where she's going and has full trust that Starlett won't bring her off course. I'm sure that Epona would do the same for me, but I'd rather keep my eyes open. This way I can take in everything around me like the white sand, the palm trees, the platform huts that someone has built over the water, the animals on and up above the beach, and more. But what catches my attention the most is of course, you guessed it, the beautiful girl beside me.

I wonder about her name. Zelda. It's a unique name that I have never heard before and it's beautiful and I think it suits her very well. She seems so elegant and sweet, but at the same time she gives off the feel of someone dangerous and tough. From her bow skills I know she is talented, and then there's the way that she detected I was following her last night and then appeared with a knife at my throat. That shows me she knows how to take care of herself. Last night in the tavern I enjoyed sitting across the table from her, the more she talked the more I was intrigued to know her. And now, I don't want to part ways. Something draws me to her.

Zelda opens her eyes and I look to the forest to the left of us having the feeling it wouldn't be good for her to catch me staring at her. She called me a creep last night before I asked her to join me for dinner. I don't want her to feel that way about me.

"This is relaxing, with the sound of the waves and the soft sounds of hoofbeats. I haven't seen the ocean in quite some time. It makes me think of my life in Lurelin, where there is but nothing sparkling water and sand outside my front door."

"Does that make you sad?"

She shakes her head. "Quite the opposite, I feel at peace by the ocean. It's bringing good memories back to me, I feel so happy here."

"That's great. I'm glad that you feel that way." I say, lamely, just because I'm not sure what to say. But Zelda smiles at me anyway and end up giving her one back without thinking about it. I'm sure I look like a derp.

"You know, I thought that I was going to win yesterday, but then you showed up and threw me off balance. How on earth did you do that with the arrow? That was really awesome."

"Splitting yours down the center? Easy, I just shot at it."

"There's got to be more to it than that. Come on, share your secrets with me."

I shake my head. "A master markman never reveals his secrets."

"Master?" She scoffs and looks off toward the ocean, but then she glances back at me and I can see she's not actually mad as her lips turn up in a smile. "Not even for me?" She says in a sweet voice.

I laugh, I can't help it, she sounds so cute. "I might make an exception."

Zelda grins as if she has just won a victory then speeds her horse up and makes Starlett dash forward within a couple of seconds and then she's getting farther and farther away. Her blonde hair flies everywhere in the wind. Sand is flying through the air at her horse's feet and I see crabs running for cover. Zelda looks over her shoulder and yells.

"Well, are you coming?!"


	4. Getting To Know You

Chapter 4

Getting To Know You

-Zelda's PoV-

Link and I slow our horses to a trot a while after he catches up to me. After we reach the end of the beach where the sand turns into rocky terrain we stop. I get off my horse and walk over to the rocks next to the sparkling sea. Hopping from one to another I make my way to a large boulder just over the water's edge then raise my arms out to my sides as the wind blows against me with my eyes closed. Breathing in the scent of the sea I let out a sigh. I never thought I'd miss this so much. Growing up in Lurelin Village the ocean was nothing exciting for me, but when I left and traveled northwest that had been the last time I had seen it.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Completely."

It's true, but I'm not only enjoying the ocean and the sandy beach. I'm enjoying the company of someone next to me. Ever since I left my home, I've been all alone. It's nice to have him as some company.

I turn towards Link spinning on my heel, but I lose my balance forgetting I'm standing on a rock as it shifts beneath me. I let out a high pitched squeak as my heart skips a beat and use my arms to stay upright. I catch my balance as Link grabs my arm to steady me and our eyes meet and I stand up straight and brush a strand of hair from my eye.

"T-Thanks." I stutter, and scream at myself internally. That was humilating. What are you doing?!

"You're welcome." He says with a hint of a laugh in his voice.

I laugh nervously as once again I feel my stupid cheeks going red. But that's alright this time as I had embarrassed myself. Oh man, I'm a ditz in front of this guy. I never lose my cool or composure in front of guys, even handsome guys like Link, but for some reason even acting normal in front of him is hard. I only met him yesterday, and nothing had even really happened since then. If you call going to the tavern with him a date, that wasn't even abnormal for me. I've always attracted the attention of guys without trying, even in Lurelin, and I've been on so many dates and had dinner with more than a couple guys as I've traveled, but not one of them has ever rattled me like Link does. The most frustrating part is that he doesn't even have to speak to do it. Just a small look from him is all it takes to fluster me, and the more I see him the worse it gets.

I try to clear my head as I advert my eyes from his, looking at the ocean behind him. A couple seagulls fly over the water under the warm summer sun and I already feel myself starting to sweat as by now it is late morning, or maybe even about noon. I turn and climb up on a large boulder before sitting down and dangling my feet off the edge over the water. I lean back on my hands and a couple seconds later Link sits down to join me.

"Nice tattoo." He says referring to the one on my right shoulder.

"Thanks. My sister Tetra and I both have bird tattoos, we got them when I turned fifteen. It was her birthday present to me."

"It's nice, the artist did a good job. I've been thinking about getting one, but I'm not sure what I'd want. Why did you pick an owl?"

"I've always loved owls, they are so cute. Plus, it was the only animal that Tetra and I could agree on. She insisted that we get nearly matching tattoos so that it was meaningful and special, and it really is because when I miss her sometimes I look at my tattoo and smile. I even laugh at how much of a baby we both were getting them, I didn't think it would hurt that much."

Link laughs and I do as well, it's funny to look back on.

"That's cool, and I think an owl was a good choice. Is hers identical?"

I shake my head. "Her owl sits on a branch on her left shoulder, as mine is on my right shoulder and has its wings spread as if it's about to fly."

I have no idea how much time passes as we continue to talk but eventually my stomach is begging to be fed. All I've had is that apple I picked from a tree on my way down from Purah's house today and I don't have anything with me. I regret not bringing the small backpack I usually have with me when I go walking somewhere to see the sights when I've stopped in a town or village. I always carry some first aid stuff, a knife, a jacket, and snack when I go wandering off somewhere nearby a town or stable without Starlett. As if on cue, my stomach growls in the silent air between us.

"I'm starving." I say putting my hand on my angry stomach.

"Did you eat this morning?" He asks.

"Not enough."

Link stands up and goes over to Epona. He looks through the one saddle bag he has tied to her saddle before pulling out a small brown bag.

"Do you want a baked apple?"

My stomach growls again at the sound of food and even from fifteen feet away Link can hear it, and we both laugh. I already had an apple today but with how my stomach is whining at me I could have another. Right now I don't feel particularly picky, and besides, baked apples are absolutely delicious.

"I would love a baked apple, Link."

After sitting down next to me again he opens the bag and holds it open for me. I reach inside and grab one of the dark cooked apples. I bite into it and it's so sweet and delicious that I let out a happy "Mmmm." It's been a couple weeks since I last made baked apples for myself. I thank Link with a smile.

x.x.x

-Link's PoV-

Zelda and I return to the stables and tend to our horses. We talk as we remove them of their equipment till the next time we are ready to ride. I ask Zelda what else she has to do while she is in town.

"There's this beautiful horse saddle in the shop next door that I really want to buy for Starlett. My princess deserves something nice for bringing me across Hyrule. It costs a lot of rupees but she is worth it. I was going to buy it with my winnings yesterday, but I sort of got sidetracked."

Zelda gives me a look after she says that last part as she's obviously indicating when I asked her to have dinner last night. I know the saddle she's talking about as it's been in the stable shop for a long time and I am actually surprised that nobody has bought it yet. That white leather saddle was there when I stopped in Hateno two months ago. I find it funny that she calls her horse her "Princess," but it's sort of cute. It shows how much she loves her which I can relate to and understand the feeling well, as I'm the same way with Epona. Zelda says that she is going to the tavern so I offer to join her for lunch and she accepts. I get the Fish Pie and Zelda orders the Seafood Fried Rice.

"How long do you intend on staying in Hateno?" I ask.

"A day or two more, maybe. There's not really any reason for me stick around Hateno any longer."

"Same, I really only came for the archery contest."

The waitress comes to our table with our food. I don't know what to say so I start to dig into my Fish Pie which is delicious like the last time I had it. Zelda plays with the crab in her rice. I notice that she isn't eating and I remember she said she was starving earlier, and one baked apple couldn't have filled her stomach that much. Zelda's staring at her plate and her fork is twirling around the edges and her eyes look sad as she gazes emptily at her food.

"Hey, is something wrong?"

Her eyes shoot up to mine and she answers quickly. "No! I mean..." She clears her throat. "No, nothing's wrong, I'm just thinking."

Zelda takes a bite of her food and I see her eyes light up and she closes them smiling. She makes a satisfied noise, then starts to eat quicker and pieces of rice drop from her fork as she does. I am slightly surprised by her lack of eating manners as not all the food she scoops up makes its way to her mouth and her elbow is sitting on the table. But unlike anyone else, for some reason she just looks cute like she always does as she eats pretty damn messily. I shake off the strange concerned feeling I had when she looks better than she did a minute ago.

"It was nice riding with you today." Zelda tells me.

"I enjoyed spending time with you as well."

I ask her to tell me more about Lurelin Village as I don't know a lot about the place. Sure, I visited there once, but I'm curious to hear about it from her perceptive, from someone who grew up there.

"Well, there's palm trees everywhere. The entire village is set upon sand and spots of grass. The houses are all made of wood and torches sit everywhere along the paths between town. The people there are all pretty down to earth. The visiting merchants and travelers always talk about Lurelin like it's some tropical paradise, which I suppose is true as it never really gets cold and it does rain a lot. Fishing is quite popular with the sea on our doorstep and lots of people fish as a hobby as well as a job. I love to fish with my sister and dad in the bay, it's not so much catching the fish that I enjoy as the time we spend together. Lurelin Village seems to be famous for fresh seafood as I hear travelers everywhere I go talking about it. I've never really understood why, but for some reason a lot of visitors think it's better than anywhere else." She pauses and shrugs. "People come from all over Hyrule to eat at my mom's restuarant, "The Crawfish." I grew up on fish, crabs, lobster, et-cetera and even though I have eaten it all my life, I still love seafood more than anything. You'd think I'd be sick of it by now but the funny thing is I always order seafood dishes when I go to towns like this one." She gestures to the rice and crab on her plate.

Zelda speaks with such enthusiasm in her voice as she describes her home. I can't help but notice that she seems a lot more relaxed today than she did when we ate dinner together last night. Her tone of voice is lighter and she's smiling a lot more. I thought she was shy when we first met, but now I'm starting to think otherwise. She seems comfortable as we sit at the table and I feel a warmer demeanor emanating from her. I enjoy listening to her talk.

"I agree with the travelers with it being a paradise, I got that feeling the couple days I spent there." I say.

"How was growing up in Kakariko?"

"Not too bad, you've been there so you know the peaceful and tranquil feeling the village has, but we don't get a lot of visitors in Kakariko for some reason. Almost everyone who lives in Kakariko is Sheikah as well as family. My sister Aryll and I grew up with Purah's family when my parents died, so I have always considered her family to be my own."

Zelda's smile drops a little and is replaced by a small frown. I rarely bring this up as I don't actually like to talk about it. I'm not sure what dark entity decided to bring something so sad from my mouth just now. I sort of wish that I could take the words back as I know she is going to ask the same question that everyone asks when I bring up my mom and dad, but after looking into her now sad viridian eyes I don't mind answering.

"Please forgive me if it is a touchy subject, but I have to ask. What happened to your parents?"

"My mom got sick when I very little, right after my sister was born, so I never actually knew her as I was only two years old. My dad went out hunting one afternoon when I was seven, but he didn't come home that evening, so a couple of the men in the village went to the forest south of the village and found him. They said my dad was badly wounded and was bleeding from a wound across his chest. I was told there were large claw marks raked across it from what we think could only have been a bear. Bears are rare to see in Bubinga Forest, but no other animal could have done it. They bandaged him up and brought him back to Kakariko." I stop and take a breath, as the memory is suddenly painful for me to reminisce. "I was fortunate enough to get to say goodbye before he passed away."

Zelda puts her hand to her chest and her eyes shine with tears. "I'm so sorry. I hope that it doesn't hurt you to bring it up."

I smile even though talking about it brings up an old pain in my chest. I usually don't go so into detail when I talk about that day, but the words just kept coming from my mouth this time. Normally when people ask I just say that I lost them or that I don't want to talk about it. I'm not sure why I went on and on as I told Zelda. I wish I didn't, as she looks so incredibly sad I fear that she is going to cry.

"Hey, don't be, it was a long time ago so that old wound closed up long ago. I'm sorry to tell such a sad story while we are eating."

"Oh, no, it's fine! After all, I am the one who asked. Tell me about your sister, Aryll, was it?"

I nod. "Aryll is two years younger than me. We look a lot alike with blonde hair and blue eyes. She's loud and bossy and a royal pain in the ass, but that's little sisters for you. Aryll is the only biological family I have left and even if she does get on my nerves a lot, most of the time she's really not too bad. We have our ups and downs like any siblings, but Aryll is probably my closest friend."

"That's nice. Tetra and I are really close too. She is four years older than I am. She's easily the most popular girl in the village as everyone loves her, the boys especially."

"Well, if she looks anything like you, then I can see why."

The words come out of my mouth before I can even realize what I'm saying. I look down and shove a bite of my fish pie in my mouth. I don't look at her to see the look on her face, but I can clearly feel her eyes on me. Why did I say that? What a corny line!

"Thanks." Zelda says, quietly, her voice sounds cute at the single word. "Tetra is really pretty. I guess we do look alike but she is definitely the prettier one."

I spare a look back up at her and find she is staring at me like I thought. Her cheeks look a little pink as she smiles and I give her a weak one back. We finish our meals glancing at each other every once in a while.


	5. Under The Stars

Chapter 5

Under The Stars

Zelda's PoV

I'm sad to hear Link lost his parents to sickness and injury, but he seems like a light hearted person regardless. I think of my parents in Lurelin Village who are certainly both alive and well. I can't imagine what my life would have been growing up without them, the thought has never even occurred to me. Almost everyone I know has both their parents, as nobody normally gets horribly sick or mortally wounded in Lurelin. There aren't many dangerous animals down there besides wolves, but even they are a rare sight to see. I feel a pain in my heart for him and I know there are no words that I can say. He says that it's alright with a smile that betrays his eyes and I can tell that talking about it actually hurts him. I can't help but feel bad about asking when it really wasn't any of my business and I should have known that it would be painful for him to talk about.

When Link talks about his little sister it makes me smile. It's great that he has her, it must help a lot all things considered. I am surprised to learn that he grew up with Purah and wonder what that must have been like. I know that she has a little sister too and he has Aryll, which means he grew up with three girls. I smile to myself as I realize this holding back a laugh, I can only imagine how hard that must have been when I think of Purah alone. I have to wonder if she was the same back then as she is now.

When Link says that one line my cheeks go red. I haven't thought to consider what he sees when he looks at me, but I suppose he just off-handedly called me pretty. The comment makes me happier than I think it should. A lot of people have called me pretty and beautiful in my life, but for some reason the idea of him thinking so makes me go crazy, like everything else about him. It's just another thing to make me ask the question I have no answer for.

What is it about him?

I look to Link as he eats and notice the tip of the gold bow on his back. I remember that is what first drew me to look at him at the contest. When we are done eating I push my plate aside and take a drink of my water.

"I've been wondering, where did you get that bow? It's so beautiful."

"I won it in a contest in Hyrule Field. I wasn't expecting it was a reward, it's a magnificent weapon."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure."

Link takes it off his back and holds it out with both hands above the table and I take it and bring it to my lap after scooting my chair back. The surface is smooth and polished, the gold shines even in the low light inside the tavern. The feather carved tips of the limbs are engraved delicately for detail and I am impressed with whoever made it as they must have an incredible amount of patience and skill. I hold it up in the light and pull back the string for the hell of it and find that it feels powerful. I can't help but smile as it one of the most beautiful bows I've ever held.

"It's even prettier than I thought. You won this?" I say glancing at him. He nods. "You're so lucky, I've never won something like this in a contest."

I hand it back to him regretfully, wishing that my own bow was that lovely. It's impossible for me not to be at least a little jealous as Link replaces it on his back

x.x.x

Link's PoV

Zelda and I are sitting up on the hill above Hateno Stable. There's a huge stone with a flagpole right behind us and the sun is just disappearing behind the horizon. From here, we can see a large waterfall far to our right and the woods right below Hateno, along with the road leading up to the town with winding hilly roads and mountains beyond all of that. The horse stables are right underneath this hill next to the pond. This has always been my favorite spot in Hateno Village.

"I used to sit here as a kid with Aryll, Paya, and Purah and watch the sun go down. The four of us swam at the lake under that large waterfall many, many times. We all grew up in Kakariko, but Impa brought us to Hateno all the time. Impa is Purah and Paya's mom and she is the kindest, along with scariest, woman I have ever known. She raised Aryll and I like we were her own children, taking us in immediately when we lost our dad. She and my mom were best friends, Impa has told us stories about her throughout the years."

"Impa sounds like an incredible woman, she must have a huge heart to do that for you two."

"Aryll and I are lucky to have her."

Zelda tells me she is staying with Purah and I shake my head and put my hand to my forehead. Great, I think. I wonder what Purah has told her and part of me is almost afraid to know. I'm actually surprised that Purah herself didn't mention this when we met up at the tavern this morning, it seems like something she would have told me. Purah loves to talk about others, and when it comes to me, there's an endless amount of things that she tells people. Two of the worst examples that have come back to are the time where I was so sick that I ended up projectile vomiting on poor Paya when she was helping take care of me, and when I fell down all thirty-something stairs outside Impa's house and broke my arm and leg.

"Oh yeah, Purah called you Linky when I returned to her house last night." Zelda says, with a short laugh and then her own cheeks go red for some reason, as if she's remembering something. I can't help but wonder what it is about her statement that's causing such a reaction, but I don't ask.

"Yeah...that's been her nickname for me ever since the day we met."

"It's cute." She says sounding amused and I sigh heavily.

"Everyone says that. I've asked Purah to stop calling me Linky for years, but she adamantly refuses to stop. I find it kind of irritating that she refers to me as that name to everyone she meets, so that nickname is not only used by her, but by almost everyone I meet who's met her. I should be used to it by now, but for some reason it still urks me."

"She probably does it because she knows it bothers you."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"I know I am...Linky."

Zelda laughs and then I am laughing too, her laugh makes me laugh. The irritated and embarrassed feeling I felt a minute ago is gone within seconds. I almost tell her not to call me that, but I stop as I think it will give her a reason to. I know that from first hand experience that it will, as all the girls in Kakariko call me Linky because I've told them not to. I wonder what Zelda has told her as well, I assume not much at all as I would probably know because Purah would have definitely brought it up this morning.

I lay back in the grass when the sunset is gone and the sky turns dark. The stars begin to appear one by one in the clear night sky above us. I listen to Zelda talk about an older man she met a couple of days ago. His name is Bolson and I know about him all too well as Purah is good friends with the flamboyant man who wears pink trousers and a pink braided headband. I've met him several times and he is one of the strangest people I think I'll ever meet. Zelda says Bolson invited her for tea at his house and it was very nice. All I can say about Bolson is he is definitely eccentric to say the least.

Zelda lays down under the stars with me a foot away. Straight above us a shooting star flies across the sky leaving a streak of silver in its wake. It's been a while since I have seen one and I'm about to tell Zelda to make a wish when she speaks up first.

"When I was ten years old, my dad, my sister and I were laying on a blanket on the beach. The sky was clear just like tonight and we could see every single star. We picked out all the constellations we could and then I remember spotting a shooting star. Then the most amazing thing started to happen not even a couple seconds later as dozens of them started dashing across the night sky. Our dad explained that it was actually a meteor shower that we were witnessing. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen and I will never forget it. The memory is especially important to me because of Tetra. I remember her telling us that she was going to make a wish on every single one for every person in Lurelin Village, and for everyone out there who needed a special wish. From that day on I always looked up to her for her kindness and loving heart. Every time I see a shooting star I am reminded of that night, and how much I miss her."

I roll over on my side and hold up head on my hand as I listen to Zelda talk. Her eyes close at the end of her story and a smile spreads across her lips before she continues.

"I wish for the same thing every time I see one, for Tetra to know that I am safe and happy. I hope that she gets every letter I send her and that she is not worried about me like she was when I left Lurelin. She begged me not to leave, but in the end she had to accept the fact I didn't want to spend my whole life in the village."

"Tetra sounds great."

"She is, I begged her to come with me when I left but she wouldn't come. She told me the life of a traveler wasn't for her and I totally understand that, but I had to try. Maybe someday I can convince her to see the world with me."

"Aryll wanted to come with me when I left Kakariko the first time, but I told her no. I was worried that something would go wrong. It can be dangerous on the road, as I'm sure you are well aware of, and I didn't want to risk my little sister's life. Aryll was so mad at me for that, saying she would be just fine, but I knew then and I know now that she wouldn't actually enjoy being away from home for long periods of time. But I have taken her on many day trips when I come back to Kakariko every month."

"Do you miss Aryll when you're away?"

"Yeah, and I know she misses me. Every time I come back she hugs me for several minutes no matter if I've been gone for a couple days or for a month."

"That's sweet."

I roll over on my back and gaze at the stars above. Zelda and I spent the entire day together, not really doing much of anything after we ate, but it was still nice to spend time with her walking around the village.

"Where will you go when you leave?" I ask her.

"I'm not sure. I'll probably just explore until I find a place. Honestly, I just go where the road takes me. I keep track of where I am with my Sheikah map."

"Do you ever get lost?"

"Sometimes." Zelda says with a laugh. "But I'm always alright, I've got Starlett to calm me when I feel afraid."

I hear her yawn and I feel my own eyes start to droop.

"I should go back to Purah's before I fall asleep here."

Zelda stands up and brushes the grass off her clothes and I get up as well. I offer to walk her up to Purah's and she says alright, so we walk through the quiet low lit street of the village. I think of where I will go next when I leave here. I've always liked traveling alone, but as we walk I realize that something has changed. I don't look forward to leaving, not when I will be going alone. So I come back to an idea that I had earlier while we were eating lunch in the tavern. I'm nervous about her answer but I'll never know if I don't ask. I also know that if I don't I will end up regretting it. So when we get to the top of the hill and stop in front of Purah's house, I make myself ask the question that's been brewing in my thoughts all day.

"Zelda, would you like to join me when I leave Hateno?"


	6. Heavy Decisions

Chapter 6

Heavy Decisions

Zelda's PoV

Words fail to come to me as we stand there, I can't believe that he is asking me to come with him. Link gives me a smile as we gaze at each other, and looking in his eyes I know I want to see more of them for days to come. I know now after getting to know him I would be sad if we parted ways. I want to say yes right at that moment, but a voice in the back of my mind holds me back.

You hardly know him.

Is going with him something I should do? Just because we have spent time together and I enjoy his company doesn't mean I should go. I feel a edge of doubt as I stand there and Link doesn't say anything. I bite my lip.

"Can I think on it?"

"Of course, take your time. I won't be leaving till the morning after tomorrow."

"Okay."

As I turn around my insides are a mix with excitement and anxiety. I feel so happy that I could burst but at the same time I feel a sudden rush of panic. I've never had both of these feelings simultaneously and it is both mentally and physically exhausting as I stand there in front of Purah's front door.

"Night Zelda."

I look over my shoulder and force a smile. "Good night, Link."

I push the double doors open with the Sheikah symbol and my emotional turmoil continues to boil inside me. This is a big decision for me, I've never traveled with anyone at my side and now I meet a handsome, funny, kind, dreamy man who wants me to come with him. It makes me happy, but it also makes me extremely skeptical as Link just seems too good to be true.

I sit on the picnic style bench and stare at everything around me but don't really take it in. I sigh and get up and walk back outside to climb the stairs that spiral around Purah's house, as to get to the other rooms you must do so from outside. I love the design of her house in general, it kind of reminds me of a mini castle at least in shape. There is a green wooden door leading to a small bedroom halfway up which is a spare room that nobody has used in years. Purah insists on letting me use it, which I have no problem with at all. I wasn't expecting to have my own room when she offered to let me stay with her. There's a real bed in the room, that is actually quite comfy, which I have really enjoyed the past two weeks. Most of the time I sleep outside on the small bedroll I carry with me while I'm on the road, unless I am nearby a stable. All the stables in Hyrule offer an inn to spend the night, which I am always so grateful for especially since it isn't always safe to sleep outside.

My personal things sit on the floor by the wall opposite the bed. I dig through my pack for the green hairbrush Tetra gave me a year ago. Taking a seat on the bed I brush out my long blonde hair which has a lot less tangles in it than I'm expecting. I wear my hair in long ponytail ninety percent of the time to keep it from getting severely knotted. Also, on the road I'm unable to wash it as often as needed but that's just a consequence of being a traveler in this world. I've thought about cutting my hair shorter but I always chicken out, I love my hair even if it can get in the way.

My thoughts go back to Link's question. For some reason, my brain keeps having to reprocess it. I'm not sure what to do, so I go over it in different ways. My thoughts go on a rampage. I have a lot "What if?" thoughts and "I'll have to's." The more I think about it the more stressed the idea makes me. The fact that he is a man alone brings up thoughts of how much my life will change if I decide to say yes.

But isn't that what I want? If I'm honest with myself, I'm not really content with my life when it comes to the fact that I am always alone. I realize that I am sick of that, sick of talking to myself on the road and dreaming up conversations and scenarios that will never happen as long as I continue the way I always have. Being with someone, even a guy who I hardly know who is just my friend, sounds better than going on traveling alone. It's not like if things don't work out that Link and I couldn't just part ways. Besides, I'll never know what things might have been like or how they could have turned out if I don't give this perfect opportunity a shot. I've really got nothing to lose. The two weeks have somehow, magically, changed my whole outlook on my life and a solid fact has formed itself clearer than ever into my mind.

I don't want to be lonely anymore.

I try to shake the thoughts from my mind as I change into my night clothes that I rarely ever use. But since I have my own room and an actual bed, I've been wearing them every night. I crawl under the blankets and lay with my eyes closed for what feels like hours, my mind just won't shut up, until I finally pass out.

In the morning I stretch my arms out above my head on the pillow as I yawn squinting my eyes in the sunlight that's shining through the small window. I crawl out of bed slowly and get dressed a dark purple shirt and black pants before brush my hair into it's regular ponytail and smooth out my bangs. I roll and rub my right shoulder as it hurts, I must have slept on it awkwardly.

Crossing the room I dig through my pack until I find my wallet of prize rupees I won at the archery contest. I look inside it before putting it in my pocket. I'm going to buy that saddle today. I could have done it at any point yesterday afternoon, but my money had been up here while Link and I spent the day down in the village. It would have been a hassle to walk all the way up to Purah's house just to grab it. I try to avoid walking up and down from there and town at all costs considering how exhausting it can be.

I walk downstairs and down to the village. It's nearly ten am which is very late for me to sleep in so I've missed the morning bustle and the street of Hateno is quiet except for the yelling and laughing of kids playing. I eat breakfast at The Rusty Horseshoe, a plate of fried egg and rice plus a glass of milk, before I head to the stable shop. The girl behind the counter, Gina, says hello and I hear a small giggle as she covers her mouth with her hand and I wonder if I've missed something. Her dad, the stable shop owner, Jeffrey, comes from the back room and greets me as well. I walk up to my saddle run my hand across its white leather that feels soft to the touch but is also very sturdy.

I tell Jeffrey I'm ready to buy it. He tells me the price has been lowered and to my ultimate surprise, he wants half the rupees for it. I ask why he changed his mind after I am done gaping in shock. He says that he feels that it was too expensive and he wants to give me a good deal, so I take the two hundred rupee price that used to be four hundred. Jeffrey throws in a bridle of the same white leather for fifty rupees and I thank him generously before he picks the saddle up off of it's dusty display and I shake with excitement as he hands it to me. I thank him generously and tell him I appreciate it more than he knows before walk out with a huge smile on my face. I walk straight to the horse stables grinning like a little kid. I am so excited to put it on Starlett for the first time.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

When she asked to think about my question, I felt hope rise in my chest at her words. That meant she was considering it which is a lot better than a flat out no. There was a chance she might actually say yes.

I'm in the stables with Epona, just sitting on a chair and thinking when I hear a high pitched squeal as someone walks into the horse stables. Looking over my shoulder I see as Zelda walks in holding a white saddle and bridle in her arms. She's grinning like a little kid whose parents just gave them a ton of honeyed candy. She jogs over when she sees me and ecstatically tells me that the shopkeeper gave her a half price deal. I smile as she turns to her horse and starts talking to her happily.

"Starlett! Look at this! I got you a beautiful new saddle. It will feel so much nicer than that old one you always have to wear."

I'll never tell her, but I went in a hour ago and paid the man two hundred rupees. Jeffrey gave me a hard time for it as it was obvious I was doing so for her. Gina gushed about how sweet I was for doing something like that, and I asked them to please not tell her so they both agreed not to. I can still hear Gina's words ringing in my head as I walked out.

"How romantic, don't you think dad?"

I guess you could say I did it since I stole the winning pot from her at the contest. After seeing her face right after I won I felt kinda bad, which is the strangest feeling since I've never felt like that after winning something. Zelda told me yesterday that the only reason she entered the contest was so she could buy that saddle, and she never told me how many rupees she made. I can't remember if I ever knew the prize for second place. If you call it "trying too hard" to win her over, that doesn't exactly count as she doesn't know and I don't plan on ever admitting to it. I also don't regret helping her out as the smile on her face just now was worth me being two hundred rupees poorer.

Zelda puts the white saddle and bridle on Starlett as I walk over and put my elbows on top of the short stall gate crossing my arms on top. Zelda turns and her smile drops as she notices I've been watching her. I give her my, in Purah's words, "lady killer" smile.

"Stop that."

I laugh. "Stop what?"

She walks over to the gate and her eyes narrow as she stares me in the eyes. "You know what, Linky."

My grin falters at the stupid nickname.

"I will stop whatever you're talking about if you promise not to call me that."

All I can think of is Purah being annoying when she says it. I don't want my sister's face on my mind when Zelda says my name. I see her consider it as she puts the index finger of her right hand to her chin and looks to the side, then her eyes dart back to mine as she smirks.

"I promise."

I told Purah that I would eat dinner with her today so after doing some jobs for a couple people in the village I head to The Rusty Horseshoe. I tell her that I'm leaving tomorrow morning and she tells me I better not forget to say goodbye. I tell her I wouldn't be a jerkoff and do that as I feel slightly hurt, I've never left Hateno without seeing her off.

It's not long before Zelda walks in the door and Purah waves her over calling her name. As she sits down Purah launches back into telling me how she met Zelda.

"She was a genius. I followed them to the door and saw her draw her sword, I wasn't expecting it at all. She told him she'd go on a date with him if beat her in a sword fight, and I felt slightly afraid for her for a minute. But I needn't worried at all as she easily removed the perv of his sword and stuck the point to his neck. I swear the man probably peed his pants. I was so grateful I let her stay at my house for free, it was the least I could do in return. Besides, that empty room I have was just collecting dust. Zelda here has been great company for lonely little me."

"You wouldn't be lonely if you didn't seclude yourself on a mountain. Have you ever thought of moving back to Kakariko? Paya and Impa always tell me that they miss you being around."

"I don't seclude myself, Linky. I just prefer to live where it's nice and peaceful." I give her look as if Kakariko isn't peaceful, and she pauses to laugh before continuing. "Okay, okay I know what you're thinking but up there I can do anything I want to. For example, when I run around under the stars naked at night, I couldn't do that anywhere else!"

Zelda and I burst out laughing. "You know, the fact you do that doesn't surprise me at all."

"Do you really do that?" Zelda gasps between laughs.

Purah grins at her and nods. "It's great!"

"You're crazy." I say and Purah pokes me hard in the shoulder.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I make the silly promise even though I don't actually mind him giving me that heart melting smile because I really do love it. His teeth are straight and pearly white and his eyes are bluer than the daytime sky on a bright sunny day. He's so dreamy when he looks at me like that that I can't help but smile back. It's crystal clear that Link knows what his smile does to me by now as my cheeks flush red without fail each and every time, and I have no doubt that he uses it on girls everywhere. But you know, I'm starting not to care anymore as it's pointless. I can't control how I react around him if I try. I've become a damn floozy. I try to tell myself that it's okay, even if I feel stupid.

I took Starlett on a short ride below the village to get a feel for her new saddle. It was definitely worth my money as the seat is much comfier than my old saddle and I'm sure that it probably feels better for my horse as well as the leather is more flexible and softer.

I return to the village stables after a couple hours and give Starlett a good grooming as I let my thoughts run. When I go to eat dinner at the tavern Link and Purah are sitting at a table together. Purah enthusiastically waves her hand calling me over to join so I sit with them. We order the Crab Stir-Fry, Meaty Rice Balls, and Prime Meat Curry.

Our food comes and the three of us eat with Purah giving us a hard time. She's teases him, and me, for the whole blushy handshake thing at the end of the archery contest. I just laugh because now I have no reason to be embarassed about that. The two bicker at the table like siblings, but really that's not weird because they pretty much are. I find myself laughing at their conversation on more than one occasion as I listen. Purah's so funny when she's playing around and Link is adorable when he gets frustrated. I smile as I sit there with them realizing I've made not one, but two friends outside Lurelin Village. It only took me a whole year, but I finally met some people I enjoy being around. Thinking about it I also realize that it makes sense it took me so long to make a friend. I've never stopped and stayed anywhere for more than two days. I feel a hole in my life I didn't realize I had being closed up. I needed this, I never realized how much. Staying in Hateno has actually opened my eyes and made me happier than I've ever been. I'm grateful to have met both Link and Purah.

This evening Purah and I are outside her house standing on the balcony porch outside her bedroom door. The porch wraps around the other side of her house with a railing so we can stand looking toward the sea. Purah told me a week ago that she had Bolson and his construction team extend it just for that reason. We are both leaning against the railing and enjoying the view. The wind is blowing softly and I smell the lovely salty and fresh scent of the ocean. The sky is turning into a blue and purple sunset making the clouds look like cotton candy, and couple seagulls fly far over the water.

I yawn and stretch my arms high over my head. I look over to Purah after I lower my arms and realize that she's known Link for years which makes me decide to bring up his question with her. If anyone would know whether or not I should join him I figure it would be her. At the very least I'm sure I'll get an honest answer.

"Purah, if someone asked you to travel with them, would you go?"

"Hmm...depends on the person. You're gonna have to be more specific." She says, turning her head and winking.

"Link asked me to join him when he leaves tomorrow morning. Is he the kind of person who would be good to travel with?"

"Well, he's an airhead, but he is quite smart. As far as I know, Linky has never traveled with anyone, so you must be pretty special. I told you that he was showing off for you at the contest, yet you didn't believe me."

"Purah, that doesn't answer my question."

She turns and puts her hands on her hips as a grin spreads across her cheeks.

"You should definitely go traveling with him. Say yes! A dreamy hottie wants you as his companion. I know I'd say yes in a heart beat."

Purah fans herself with her hand dramatically as throws her head back putting her other hand on her forehead. I stare at her for several seconds before I start laughing hysterically. Then we are both laughing like maniacs on top of her tower house.

"You called him a dreamy hottie." A gasp when I can breathe.

"That's what you think is funny?!" Purah says loudly, gasping for air as well. "Zelda, Link might be practically my brother, but even I have eyes!"

I laugh harder, holding onto the railing with one hand and my stomach with the other. I don't know why I think this is so funny but I cannot stop laughing for the life of me. My cheeks turn red from lack of oxygen and I have to make myself stop.

"Zelda! Breathe, jeez!" Purah exclaims.

"That settles it, I'm leaving tomorrow. I've spent enough time here. It's nice here in Hateno and all, but the road is calling me."

Purah nods as a sad frown forms on her lips. "I'll miss you being around. It's been nice living with another girl for two weeks. Where will you two go?"

"I don't know yet, but wherever sounds good to me."

"Fair enough, will you write me?"

"Sure! I'll miss you Purah." I say as I hug her and she wraps her arms around me too.

"You're not leaving right now, Zelda. Don't start saying goodbye yet!"


	7. Starting Fresh

Chapter 7

Starting Fresh

-Link's PoV-

I went to say goodbye to Purah when I woke up this morning, but she wasn't home. I couldn't find her in the inn or the tavern either, nor Zelda as I assumed she might be with her. So I eat some breakfast and say my farewells to the tavern chef and waitress before they both wish me a safe journey on the road. I tell them to say goodbye to Purah for me since I can't find her anywhere, even if I know that she won't be happy to get a simple message instead. Oh well, maybe she shouldn't be hiding when she knows I'm leaving soon.

I stand in the stalls readying Epona to depart Hateno. I give her a grooming of picking out her hooves, and gently brush her coat, mane and tail before putting on her saddle and bridle. I pick my saddle bags off the floor and hang them on the hooks securing them in place before loading up my belongings along with some new supplies I bought last night for the road. I walk Epona out of the stable and climb onto her saddle. I slowly make my way to Hateno Village gate.

I don't see Zelda anywhere. I check the watch on my left wrist that Impa gave me a couple years ago and I'm surprised the thing still works. Honestly I'm not as careful with the time piece as I should be, considering I wear it even while bathing, but yet the thing seems to be indestructible. It's nine o-five, and I told Zelda that I'd be leaving at nine. I sigh as a cold feeling settles in my chest but I shrug it off, we don't know each other that well even if we've spent the majority of the past two days together. It was a small chance that she would join me in the first place, so I can't be too depressed about it. I just figured at least she would give me a yes or no answer before I left.

So shrugging, I take one last look behind me at Hateno Village before I start walking Epona out of town. A few birds fly through the air in the small grove of trees just below the village. I stop briefly in the spot where Zelda and I had right after the contest. I recall the memory of her sneaking up on me and holding a knife to my throat and I can't help but smirk remembering that moment as I continue walking Epona down the road.

When I make the turn at the bottom of the hill I see something that literally surprises me. Maybe a hundred feet down the road is a white horse with a certain ponytailed blonde woman on its back. Standing on the ground next to her is the familiar form of the other woman I was looking for as well with her white hair in a bun and huge red glasses. No wonder I couldn't find them, they were waiting for me.

"Linky! You're late! How rude of you to keep a woman waiting! Sheesh, I thought you were more of a gentleman than that." Purah shouts at me.

I trot Epona over with a stupid grin on my face. I know it's ridiculous and childish, but I'm relieved to see Zelda. Her horse is prepared with all of her stuff in saddlebags and she is smiling at me.

"Took you long enough. I'm ready when you are."

"Decided to throw me a loop, huh? I'm willing to bet this was Purah's idea."

"It sure was! I had to find a way to give you good farewell this time, considering you're leaving with a lady."

Purah says cutting in before Zelda can answer, waggling her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. I shake my head and mutter back.

"How typical of you."

Purah just puts her hands on her hips and laughs. "Now, get down here. I can't hug you all the way up there."

I get off my horse and walk over to her. I surprise her by lifting her off the ground as I hug her and Purah makes a shocked squeaking noise. I hear Zelda laugh to our left as she dismounts her own horse. Purah gives Zelda a squeeze as well before she stands with her hands on her hips again.

"Don't forget to write me sometimes Zelda, I wanna know all about your adventures."

"Don't worry Purah, I promise I will."

"I can't believe I'm watching you two leave together. I'll see you again soon, right?" She asks looking back and forth at us.

"Yeah, after all that special event we all know and love is coming up soon." I say sarcastically.

"Ahh! You're right, how could I forget? Well, I'll see you later, Linky. Take care of yourself, and take care of Zelda!" She says winking.

I ask Zelda if she's ready to go and she nods so we say goodbye to Purah and start walking our horses away from Hateno together. Purah yells behind us and we look over our shoulders.

"Stay safe!"

Zelda's PoV

I was going to find Link last night and tell him my answer, but Purah convinced me that I needed to make my answer dramatic so I agreed on her plan to surprise him. I think it worked, considering the look on his face.

Riding down the road with Link by my side is beyond words. I feel so happy and at the same time I've got a pool of nervous matter in my gut and my stomach is bothering me. I feel anxious as we trot our horses side by side down the road. I keep glancing over at Link as we ride and he looks straight ahead with a look on his face that I cannot read. I wonder if he is feeling the same way I am. Purah did tell me she thinks he has never traveled with someone before as well, so I assume the experience is just as new for him as it is for me.

Regardless of my nervous feelings, I can't help but be excited to be riding along by his side. All last night I couldn't get the fact I was actually leaving with someone out of my head. I hardly slept at all as my mind was awake and full of thought, but even with as little sleep as I did get I don't feel very tired. We ride in the silence but the world around us isn't quiet at all. I can hear the morning chirping of birds in the trees. I see herons, deer, and squirrels as we go, and they add to the noises of nature as they dash and run away from us. A couple men are down in the trees cutting wood and I wave to them as we pass.

It starts raining when we're not even ten minutes down the road. At first it's just a sprinkle but then it starts pouring without warning. Link shouts to me over the heavy rain that there is an old cabin nearby that we can wait the rain out inside. I nod and we run our horses through the rain, past a pond and down the hill. We run through the clearing where the archery contest was held past trees and old broken ruins until we find a log house built right beside a huge boulder. The door is high and wide enough for us to bring our horses through so we do.

Inside there is an old wooden table with a chair next to it. The roof of the small building has a couple holes where rainwater is leaking through, but it's still dry enough for us to take refuge in. The rain patters loudly on the roof. I dismount Starlett and stand next to the table. I look outside through the open doorway of the house and see that the rain seems to be pouring harder than a minute ago. I hear the rolling of thunder in the sky.

As I stand there I shiver as the wind blows inside the entrance of the small cabin, which doesn't have a door. My clothes are soaking wet and I wrap my arms around myself. I think about taking them off to let them dry like I usually do when I get caught in the rain, but then my cheeks go bright red as I remember that I am not alone. Link is standing a few feet away and I bite my lip as I ask myself, what am I supposed to do with him here? I can't dry my clothes or change them with him right there. There is only one room in this small abandoned building I think was probably somebody's house at one point. I sigh and sit down on the chair next to the table.

"I'm freezing." I mutter aloud.

"Do you have any extra clothes to change into?"

"Yeah." I say as my ears start to feel warm, I wonder if he even notices that I am blushing then kick that thought aside as it must be quite visible. "But...I can't."

Link stares at me for a couple seconds and then realization floods through his features as I'm sure he gets the same thought I have. I feel a bit better about my own embarrassing blushing as his cheeks go a little red as well. Link stands there looking at me and I can't help but want to smile regardless of our situation, because he looks sorta cute.

"Well...I will just stand in the doorway looking outside, if that is acceptable. I... promise that I won't peek a look at you."

He sounds and looks uncomfortable as the words leave his mouth and a giggle escapes my lips of it's own accord. Link puts his hand on the back of his head and looks at me as he waits for my answer.

"That is acceptable." I say mimicking his word choice with a smirk.

Link nods and walks over to the door before stopping and crossing his arms. His shoulders look so broad as he stands there with a straight back and his posture makes him look strong and confident from behind, which I find rather sexy in a man. I stand there admiring him for several seconds before I blink realizing I've let myself become distracted and grit my teeth. Shaking my head, I turn around and grab a dry shirt, pair of pants, and socks from one of Starlett's saddle bags as I attempt to clear my mind of what I was just thinking about.

I stand with my back to Link as I pull my wet clothes off and quickly put my dry ones on. I ring out my wet outfit and stuff them into an empty saddlebag, I'll have to wash and dry them another time as there is no where for me to hang them now. I turn around when I'm done and see that Link is standing exactly how he was before I changed my clothes. I walk over to him and tap him on the shoulder.

"If you are going to change clothes, you can go ahead and do it. I'll stand here."

After nodding Link turns and I stare out the door and watch the rain. Loud thunder sounds in the dark clouds again and I hear a crack of lightning somewhere. I look around in the sky for it even though the bolts of energy only last a fraction of a second, and I get to see a strike far above the mountains to the north. I smile as a couple more flashes light up the dark storm clouds. I hear Link's footsteps as he comes up and stops behind me, and I move over in the large doorway so he can stand at my side.

"This storm sure came on quick, it was hardly cloudy this morning. I didn't think it would even rain."

"I know it's dark and gloomy, but I have always loved storms. Something about them fascinates me." I tell him glancing over.

Link leans his back against the thick wooden doorframe as he crosses his arms again. "I love storms as well. Purah used to always tell me that I was depressing for liking the rain. She's always said it's like the sky is crying and everything below it is getting drenched in a pool of muddy tears. Aryll and I would laugh at her when she was that dramatic, we still do actually."

I laugh. "She is quite over the top on the drama scale, but I still like her. Even if she is a bit of a teenage brat in her twenties, I still enjoy her company. She keeps things lively and interesting."

"That she does. It seems quite impossible to dislike her, doesn't it?"

I nod looking at him, and then I look back to the storm outside. I don't really mind that we had to stop here if I'm honest. Sure, I wanted to keep riding down the road but it's not like we are on a time limit. Link and I have all the time in the world to go anywhere we want, but it does suck that we didn't get very far.

"Our luck is amazing, huh? The first thing to happen when we leave is a storm. This is ridiculous." I say laughing.

"I know, right? It hasn't rained for days but this morning it decides to. I guess we're stuck here for a while."

"True, but that's not so bad. The good thing is that at least we are dry and warm now and Starlett and Epona don't even have to stay outside. I'm glad you knew of this place."

"Purah and I used to call this our secret hideout. When we came to Hateno we would always come here to play with our sisters. She was so mean to Paya back then and I always felt bad for her. Purah wouldn't let her come in unless she agreed to do everything she said and of course Paya never liked that. Aryll always took Paya's side when it came to Purah acting like a brat, though, so she was never alone. Purah and I were always closer as friends like the two of them were. It feels strange to be back here now that I think of it, I haven't been here since I was ten."

I watch the lightning in the sky until it stops, but the rain doesn't let up even a smidge. I walk around the cabin and take a look at what little there is to see. I see something brown sticking out of the straw mattress on the old bed so I pull it out. I hold an old book with torn pages hanging out the sides. I sit down on the bed before opening it carefully and the pages are so brittle that they crinkle as the spine opens. There's pages upon pages of writing and illustrations inside as I carefully and slowly flip through it. I stop on a page that catches my interest because it is an actual painting. The brushstrokes are rough and grainy as I softly brush my fingers against the paper. A huge tree is painted in the foreground with a lady underneath it on green grass, and to her left stands a man with an axe over his shoulder and beyond the tree are some mountains, a waterfall, and a red and yellow sunset.

I look over to Link who is still standing in the doorway. He hasn't moved for quite some time and I wonder what he is thinking as he stands with his back against the doorframe.

"Hey, come look at this."

I hold the book between us as he sits next to me.

"I just found this book in the mattress, it's full of pictures and writing and looks like it's been here forever. I wonder who it belonged to and why they left it behind."

"I recognize the place in this painting, it's not far from here. That's right below Hateno Village. This must have been a traveler's sketchbook, that or someone who stayed here a long time ago. I sort of wonder if it was here when I was a kid, but then I'm sure if it was then one of us would have probably found it back then."

I turn the pages of the book and there are more and more paintings to admire as I do so. Link points out the location of each of them as we take a look and his face lights up every time. Occasionally he even brings up some information about it. Several of the places are even familiar to me as they are all nearby. Link tells me more stories about himself, Purah and their sisters as we talk about the paintings. It's now that I realize he talks about his childhood quite a lot, but I don't mind at all as his stories are quite entertaining. When we run out of pages I close the book and set it down before standing and stretching my back.

I wonder about the person who this cabin originally belonged to, as it seems very old as the walls are weathered and the ceiling above us is full of holes along the edges of the walls. Link tells me that Impa once said this cabin was abandoned even when she was a little girl. I can't help but wonder why as the area around here is peaceful and quite beautiful. I look for more treasures for a couple minutes before I find nothing more of interest.

Bored and not knowing what to do, I sit down on the wooden chair next to the small table. A long yawn creeps up on me unexpectedly and I hold my hand in front of my mouth. I guess that I didn't get enough sleep last night after all. I rest my head on my arms on the small table and close my eyes.

The next time I open my eyes I no longer hear the rain outside and I wonder how long it's been since I fell asleep. I sit up and find that my arm is wet before I notice a strand of drool hanging from my lip to my right arm. I wipe my mouth and look around, blinking sleep from my eyes, and then dread fills my body when my eyes land upon Link who is sitting on the bed. Unfortunately for me, he is looking right at me and his lips are raised in an amused smirk. Just lovely, I've been drooling on myself in my sleep and he just got to witness me waking up a slobber monster. I look away from him as again my stupid cheeks betray me and my face goes undeniably red. I expect Link to laugh at me and I'm surprised when he doesn't.

"Good afternoon, you know you could have laid on the bed if you wanted to take a nap."

I give him a look before I get up from the table and walk over to our horses. Link tells me that it's stopped raining and asks if I am hungry, to which I tell him "very."

He suggests we leave the cabin and go look for something to eat. I agree and we both walk our horses out of the cabin and into the fresh, damp air. We ride to the small pond across the field before dismounting and letting them graze and drink. We decide to split up and Link asks me if I can gather some mushrooms before he tells me he's going to hunt a heron in the nearby field. I nod as he walks off before I head through a small grove of trees and gather some along with apples before returning to the pond. I feed Starlett and Epona a couple of the apples while waiting for Link to get back.

We return to the cabin afterwards and Link starts a fire under the cooking pot I didn't notice earlier. After plucking and gutting the heron he cuts it up with careful, expert skill into small pieces on top of a large flat rock on the ground. He chops up the mushrooms and I help him place them in the now heated pot. Link adds some rock salt to the pot before he grabs a couple short, straight sticks from one of Epona's saddlebags that are carved into sharp points at the ends. He explains that they are for the skewers that he is making and I nod, watching as he uses the tip of a long knife to turn the meat and mushrooms over. He sprinkles something green over the food from a tiny container he pulls from his pocket. I don't know how to cook like this, so everything that Link does is interesting to observe. I get by easily enough, but I don't have the knowledge of cooking a meal so properly. The meat smells so delicious as we sit on the two tree stumps next to the pot while he cooks our meal and I hope that it tastes so.

When the food is done cooking Link slides some the juicy meat and mushrooms onto one of his skewers and hands it to me. I thank him and take a bite of the heron, and I am surprised at the flavor it has before I take a small bite of mushroom to add to it. The combination is mouthwateringly good and better than anything I am able to cook. I have never been able to season meat so perfectly as I can taste both the salt and what I assume was a herb he used. I'm very impressed with his cooking skills and smile as I eat, enjoying every bite. I can't help but look forward to more meals on our travels if everything he cooks is this good. I make another skewer with half of what's left in the pot as Link finishes his and makes a second as well. We eat as a couple birds sing in the trees around the cabin. I ask him where he learned to cook like this.

"I didn't really learn much from anyone, honestly. Cooking is really just about experimentation, so over the past three years I have just tried different things. I guess I can thank Impa for her instruction on her attempt to teach me basic cooking skills when I was younger, but the recipe is all mine."

"Well, that was really yummy. I look forward to more meals like this one."

"I expect you to cook for me as well, you know."

I laugh. "Well of course, but know that I'm not that great of a chef like you are."

We end up spending the night at the cabin. I lay awake on the bed staring out the open door. I guess I didn't really have any idea of how our first day on the road would go, so I can't really say the day has been different than I expected. In a way, I couldn't have asked for a better first day traveling with Link even if we didn't get very far from Hateno. I wonder what Purah would say if she knew we were down here in this cabin instead of far away from here. I imagine that she would definitely tease us harshly or something, as I can't quit picturing that wink she gave us right before we left. I raise my arms up and over my head on the small pillow I have laid down with my sleeping bag on top of the straw mattress. My mind is full of endless thoughts and I'm pretty much wide awake probably due to that nap I accidently took earlier. Link said I slept for at least five hours which I was surprised to hear. I'm also surprised my body didn't hurt after sleeping on a wooden chair.

With a sigh I sit up and look to Link who is sound asleep. He insisted that I sleep on the bed and that he had no problem with taking up a spot on the ground. He's using the old pillow that was on the bed. I look to the ceiling and thank Hylia that he isn't one of those people who snore ridiculously loud since from now on we'll be sleeping near each other every night. It would have been a serious problem if that were the case, since I can't stand people who snore like bears or pigs. My dad is one of those people and sleeping in the next room of our house was sometimes the most aggravating thing in the world. I have no idea how my mom puts up with it, I can only think maybe she becomes deaf at night.

I get up quietly and tiptoe around him and go outside. I walk barefoot across the damp grass and dirt and sit on a stump by the cooking pot. The moon is full and bright in the sky, lighting up the forest in a milky glow. The sky is clearer than I expect considering it went back to storming after Link and I ate this afternoon. I sit under the night sky and look at the stars and I am able to see through the slight cloud cover. I sing a song that my mom used to sing to Tetra and I when we were little, and smile at the memories it brings up.

I see a shooting star dash behind some clouds and make a wish, but it isn't my usual one for once. I wish that things continue to go well between Link and I as friends and companions. I really am happy at his side even if we have only known each a couple days. I think of all the things that I haven't done in my life and wonder of the places we will go, the things that we will see. I'm so excited for the future for the first time in probably several months. Eventually I feel my eyes begin to droop and I yawn before getting up and going back to bed.

When I wake up in the morning Link isn't there, but Epona is so I know he couldn't have gone far. I get up and stretch before walking out of the cabin. When I turn the corner I see Link is sitting on one of the tree stumps by the cooking pot. I grin to myself as I walk over wondering what he is making for breakfast. I tell him good morning and he turns and reciprocates the greeting. He tells me that he found some bird eggs as he cracks and drops the yolks into the pan. He adds some of the green spice to it confirming it is hyrule herb when I ask.

Link asks me to go grab the two wooden bowls and the utensils in one of his saddlebags. When I walk back in the cabin where we unloaded our stuff yesterday,. I realize that he didn't mention which one they are in. I am sort of curious about how he isn't worried about me going through his stuff to find them, but then I can't really see him having anything to hide from me. I don't have anything to hide either. I shrug that silly thought from my mind as I poke through his stuff and quickly find his small assortment of cooking supplies. Link has a couple small knives, the two bowls, two forks, one spoon, as well as a metal spatula and a soup ladle. I bring the bowls and forks out grabbing the spatula as well since he's making eggs. I sit across from him on the second stump and he says "good thinking" as hand him the spatula.

I stand there and watch him cook as I think how my life is already better than before in the smallest ways. The most prominent of the moment being that I have someone else to make me food. I mean seriously, I could get used to a man cooking for me. I smile to myself enjoying that simple fact.

After breakfast we ready our horses and head off in the direction we were heading before yesterday's storm. I can't wipe the excited smile off my face as we ride side by side down the road. I can't wait to see what new adventure we find ourselves in next.


	8. An Old Friend

Chapter 8

A Old Friend

Link's PoV

It's warm and sunny as we ride past the river with the skylight caves on our way towards Fort Hateno. Zelda points out a rabbit hopping across the road, sticking her finger out above her horse's head. I follow the direction of her digit and see a little white ball on the ground right next to a tree far ahead, and it hops slowly across the grass as Zelda stops Starlett and I pull back on Epona's reins. Zelda tells me that she used to have one as a pet when she was a little kid, but one day the little creature named snowball got out of its pen and she never saw it again. I tell her that I might just hunt him down and feed him to her for lunch.

"What? Don't do that!" She squeaks.

"Too bad. I've already decided." I say, reaching back to grab my bow from my back. Zelda grabs Starlett's reins and rushes her in front of Epona. Zelda stares me in the eyes coldly and I laugh and let go of my weapon that I was only pretending to draw. She crosses her arms across her chest and I put my hands up in front of me in a surrender gesture before speaking quickly. "I was only joking!"

Her eyes narrow, but then she smiles and laughs as well. "I could hear the sarcasm in your voice. I wanted to know what you would do if I pretended to take you seriously. I don't think you would actually kill a bunny anyway. You seem too much of a softy for that."

"Don't make me kill snowball over there." I say lightly, and she laughs again.

Soon we come across a cabin twenty feet off the road that belongs to a man that I know very well. As if on cue, the cabin door opens and said man walks out and over to the small wood shed, grabs the double axe and shuts the door.

I've known Rusl since I was little because he was a close friend of my dad's. Being in the village was really hard for me and Aryll right after our dad died, as everything reminded us of him. Walking past our empty house in Kakariko was unbearable, and dealing with Impa as our new mom was as you can imagine.

Aryll and I went to Rusl's house every day that summer, as Rusl was the closest person to family we had left, spending the night frequently in his small cabin. It was just easier for us to cope around him, so Impa allowed it as she didn't know what to do for us. But when late fall came and winter began that year, he made us go home to Impa since she was our guardian. I remember begging him to take us in instead, but he explained he didn't know how to support two kids, regardless of how much as he loved us. It was the first time that he told us that, and ever since then I've looked up to and loved him like a father figure or uncle. He's family to Aryll and I, much like Impa, Purah, and Paya.

I ask Zelda if she minds making a quick stop and she shakes her head, so I dismount Epona and lead her over near the stable before walking Rusl's way and calling out his name in greeting. When he turns he looks shocked to see me.

"Link? Well, I haven't seen you in quite some time. How have you been keeping?" Rusl says stepping over and embracing me in a full armed, firm bear hug.

"I've been doing well. I spent a couple days over in Hateno for their yearly archery contest."

"I'm willing to bet a lot of rupees that you won with flying colors." He says with a chuckle.

"Only hardly, he had to compete against me." Zelda cuts in, walking up beside me and pointing her right thumb at her chest. Rusl looks from Zelda to me briefly before giving me a raised eyebrows look.

"Well then, who might this be?" Rusl asks me with a curious voice lined with amusement.

"This is Zelda. She's a new friend of mine I met a couple days ago. She was my only competition in the contest to be honest. It would have been no fun without her to compete against. We started traveling together yesterday."

Rusl steps closer to Zelda and holds his hand out, and Zelda grips it with a smile as they shake.

"I'm Rusl, it's nice to meet you, Zelda. It's nice that Link found himself a girl to keep him in line."

Zelda laughs lightly. "It's nice to meet you too."

I explain to Zelda how I know him, and the man throws in a few words here and there with jokes. Rusl invites us in for lunch and a woman is standing over the indoor cooking pot. She has short blonde hair and blue eyes as she turns around and I don't recognize her. Rusl introduces her as Uli, his wife. This takes me by surprise for a couple seconds before I grin and clap him on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Rusl. I always hoped you would find a woman." I say, and Zelda and Uli laugh. Rusl scratches the back of his head awkwardly with a crooked grin.

"Thanks. Uli here is the best thing that's ever happened to me." He says looking at his wife with a soft expression.

Zelda giggles as Uli looks at him with an adoring smile. Rusl tells us that they got married in late April in Kakariko Village. I am a bit irritated and sad that I wasn't there for his special day because of how this man means to me. I was over visiting Zora's Domain during that time, so there was no way for me to hear about it. I've never seen Rusl smiling so much and I tease him about that. He puts his arm over my shoulders before giving me a look glancing at Zelda, who is talking with Uli with her back turned to us. I smirk and shake my head and he throws his head back laughing jovially. He tells me that I need to come around more often as he's missed my company and I say the same. I really should have visited him when I came by here on my way to Hateno. I feel bad that the thought didn't even cross my mind that morning.

Zelda helps set their small table with four bowls, spoons and cups of water before we sit down. Uli has made venison stew that smells wonderful and tastes even better, the broth is perfect. Zelda and I slurp it up hungrily and are told we can have as much as we like, so we both take a second bowl before thanking Uli and complimenting her. She grins and tells us we are very welcome, it's been a while since she's been able to share her food with guests.

We talk around the table as we slowly enjoy the meal and Zelda is a large part of the conversation as Rusl wants to know all about her. Both he and Uli are invested in her tales of Lurelin Village and I enjoy learning more about her past as well. She tells us about working with her dad in the bay and catching fish and crabs for her mom's restaurant. She says that it was long and tedious work sometimes, but it was always worth it at the end of the day. Rusl asks about the short sword that she carries that I forgot she even had, and she says she learned swordplay from a guy named Kenji who worked for her mom. She could never best him in a sword fight, but when it came to archery she could kick his ass any day. I tell her I don't doubt that for a second as she even gave me a run for my skills.

"We'll have to have another contest sometime, I wasn't at my best." Zelda says.

"Anytime." I say smirking.

I wipe sweat off my forehead as I stand under the midday sun, which is beating down waves of heat unrelentlessly upon us. It's bad enough that it's hot outside, because on top of that I've been slaving away cutting up firewood with Rusl for the winter months. I was disappointed to see that his wood shed was almost completely empty when I took a look inside. It was then that Rusl decided I should help him fill up some of his stock, to my dismay. I mean, obviously I had a choice to help or not but I figured why not? I haven't spent time with Rusl at all in at least two years.

Uli comes out with a pitcher and two cups which she sits on a flat tree stump. She tells me that Rusl has been lounging around and being lazy for the past week, and it's nice to see him out here doing some work. The man grumbles about her ratting him out and Uli grins as she hands him a glass of tea. I've never known Rusl to be lazy doing anything. He was always outside busy gardening, tending to his horse, or doing various projects around the cabin when I came to see him before I left Kakariko. I can only think that perhaps having a woman around has somehow made him lazier, and he might feel he doesn't have to work so hard anymore as he has her to help out. I walk over and Uli hands me a glass of the refreshment which I chug down my dry throat after thanking her. I was feeling a bit lightheaded just before she came out and the tea really helps to fix that. Uli goes back to the cabin after saying that she's going to the river to do some laundry if we need her. Rusl and I continue our work and I get him to tell me the story of how he met her.

"Tassaren, the new owner of Dueling Peaks' stable, sent me a letter saying he had a traveler looking for a man to lead them through Bubinga forest to visit the goddess shrine in the cave. At the time, a lot of wolves had come to the forest and a couple of people had mentioned seeing a large black bear. Since I wasn't busy around here I rode over there on my horse to help out. When I arrived, Tassaren introduced me to a pretty woman with shoulder length blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She apologized for being a bother, but she was simply too afraid to travel through the woods by herself. I gave her a reassuring smile and told her it would be no problem. Uli followed beside me on her horse as we made our way through the woods, and we were lucky not to see any dangerous animals. When we got to the shrine, Uli thanked me with a hug. I was about to walk away when I decided to ask her if she'd like some company after she was done paying her respects to the goddess. Uli was shy but she nodded and said that would be nice. We made our way through the woods when she was done and went back to Dueling Peaks' stable together, chatting all along the way. I liked her immediately as she was kind, quiet, and really funny. I cooked her dinner over the cooking pot which was a bust, as I got too engaged in our conversation and burned the meat. Uli could only laugh about it and she asked where I lived, so I brought her to my cabin and she cooked us dinner instead as an extra thank you for guiding her through the forest. From then on we just got closer and I knew that I couldn't let such a woman leave my side."

"I never pegged you to become so soft Rusl." I say, teasing him sarcastically. "But I'm glad you've found yourself a wonderful wife, you always seemed lonely. Those old wrinkles in your face don't look so deep with that permanent smile hidden in your shaggy beard."

"Hey now, boy, I'm not that old." Rusl says, pushing my shoulder and throwing my next axe swing off balance, making me hit the dirt instead of the log. I almost fall over before he grabs the back of my shirt with a laugh. "Seriously though Link, thanks. She brings the whole world to me in a new light."

"You should tell her that, not me." I say smirking.

Rusl and I call it a day and head back to the cabin bringing Uli's cups and half empty pitcher of tea with us. We sit in the wood chairs that I remember him working on during the summer several years ago, woodworking has always been a talent of his. I know for a fact that Rusl mostly makes a living making custom armchairs, benches, cradles, and so on for many people in the Lanayru region. I've done a few deliveries with him dragging his cart with our two horses. I run my fingers across the smooth indents in the chair arm he has shaped to look like the knotted trunk of a tree. Each of the chairs has an intricate detailed animal head carved into the back, a wolf and an owl with burned details to make them stand out. Rusl calls these two chairs his personal treasures, unable to part with them for the world even if several of his visitors have offered a lot of rupees to buy them.

I'm telling him about my time in Zora's Domain leaning back in the chair with my eyes closed going into details about their home, when I hear the low grumble of a snore. I look over and sure and enough Rusl is passed out in his owl chair with his mouth open. I sigh and shake my head, I didn't think I was that boring of a story teller.

"All right old man, I see how it is. Get your beauty rest." I say getting up and grabbing two apples from the kitchen before going outside. I go over under the horse stalls Rusl built with my dad when I was five years old. I stand there in front of Starlett and Epona feeding them each an apple as I recall watching my dad and Rusl hammer down nails on the rooftop. I can picture the two of them up there as if it were yesterday, my dad looking down at me and telling me to go play with Aryll, and Rusl suggesting that I help out. I ended up standing on the ladder with a small bucket of iron nails handing them one by one to my dad as he laughed and joked with Rusl. The memory is warm enough in my heart to ease the old pain it also brings up. I grab a bale of hay from the stack before setting it down for the horses before refilling their water trough from the well outside. I swat a few flies away in the sticky summer heat before leaving for the nearby river.

Zelda and Uli are sitting on the bank next to an large wooden basket as I approach, washing clothes and talking loudly. I sneak up behind them silently and put my hand on one of each of their shoulders before shouting "Boo!" Both women scream and jump out of their skin, heads whipping around to see their attacker. Zelda's face scrunches up in anger as she quickly gets to her feet and steps toward me, and I step back quickly as she raises her hand narrowly missing me as I dodge her.

"That's not cool, you jackass!" She yells swinging her other hand and contacting it with my right shoulder this time. I wasn't expecting her to curse at me so I burst out laughing harder, and Zelda joins me in laughter as Uli stands up and brushes off her long skirt. She says Rusl does that to her all the time, but I'm more sneakier than he is. As payment for scaring them, they both agree that I have to carry the basket of wet clothes back to the cabin. When we get there I leave them to hang them up and go back inside to find that Rusl has woken up.

"Well hey there, Sleeping Beauty. You passed out like an old geezer on me."

Zelda's PoV

I bring my dirty clothes with us when Uli says she has some laundry to do. I normally hate washing clothes but the time flies by as we talk heart to heart. I just met this woman, but I feel comfortable around her already. Uli looks so sweet and her personality matches her soft looks and her voice is quiet as she speaks and tells me about her younger years. I learn that she is from a small village called Ordon hidden in Faron Woods just south of Lake Hylia. She was a bit of a traveler before she met Rusl, but she doesn't mind settling down with him. In her twenties, she spent a lot of her time seeking adventure across the country, and has been almost everywhere. When I ask her where in Hyrule she enjoyed the most, she says without hesitation her favorite was Rito Village. She talks warmly about the race of bird people of which that village is named.

"I made quite a few friends among them. The atmosphere of Rito Village even rivals that of Kakariko believe it or not, it's just so peaceful. The rito are very down to earth, kind, and hospitable individuals. I believe you and Link would very much enjoy a visit. I've never met a person who had anything bad to say about the bird people. Every few years I make a trip back there to enjoy the lovely snowcapped peaks of the Hebra mountains.

"I've never seen snow. I left Lurelin a year ago but I spent most of my time in Faron when it was winter, and it doesn't get cold down there. It was already spring when I made my way up into Central."

"You'll certainly need to make the trip then. It's colder over in that part of the world but it's an experience I think everyone needs."

A hand rests on my shoulder suddenly making me jump out of my skin as the person shouts "Boo!" loudly. I whip my head around to see Link backing up and keeling over forward laughing. I quickly get to my feet and I'm so riled up that I get a bit violent, which is unlike me. I plot silently to get him back for that sometime, I just have to wait for the perfect moment. I'm glad when Uli suggests that he carry the basket back and I hope it's heavy for him, but I doubt it as he seems to have no trouble at all.

Uli and I hang up our clothes on the clothesline tied between two trees before going back in the cabin, where both Link and Rusl are sitting in the living room chairs throwing a pillow back and forth while they joke and laugh at each other. Uli asks Rusl to go hunt them two herons for dinner and asks Link to go get some mushrooms, hyrule herb, and hylian rice. I like her authoritative, yet kind, tone of voice as she puts them to work. I'm slightly surprised when they both immediately get up and do what she says.

After both men leave the cabin, Uli and I go outside to the vegetable garden where she shows me her saffina plants. She explains that each of them can be used for tea, as well as a variety of medicines. She cuts a few cool saffina stems and sticks them in the pocket of her apron before we gather a couple eggs from her cuccos, and some milk from her goat. We also get some honey and apples before returning to the cabin.

Uli has me slice up some apples as she prepares the other ingredients we got in a bowl. I ask her what we are making and she says apple pie, which I remember Link telling me was his favorite at The Rusty Horseshoe in Hateno. Soon the pie is ready to be baked and we slide it into her masonry oven right above the fireplace. I've never used one of these ovens before, as we didn't have one at home in Lurelin. Uli says that Rusl installed the oven right after they got married two months ago, when she promised to make a lot of pie for him in the future. I tell her that's a pretty good deal, as masonry ovens are very useful, and rare. I tell Uli my mom's restaurant in Lurelin was the only building to have such an oven in the whole village, so pie was something that "The Crawfish" was also famous for. I was never allowed to touch my mom's sacred oven however, it was her third baby.

While we wait on the pie and the men to get back, Uli takes out two white teacups decorated with blue and white flowers, which I notice match her kettle, and sits them on the table. She says the tea set was a wedding gift from Impa and she is extra cautious to handle it carefully, as the silent princess is her favorite flower. I grin and tell her they are my favorite as well. Uli teaches me how to make her favorite tea with the cool saffina, a pinch of sugar, and honey. She says to be careful to put only a teaspoon of honey or it will make it far too sweet, but without it the tea is missing something. The tea is wonderful as we sit at the table enjoying it till Link walks the front door.

Uli thanks Link for the ingredients before she goes right to prepping them. She tells us that it will probably be a while till Rusl gets back, and she's got dinner from here on out, so we're free to make ourselves at home till it's done. Link sits down in the living room and I go outside to cool off. Being in the hot house with the fire going when it has to be at least eighty degrees out today made me sweat buckets standing in her kitchen. I walk to the river and sit down, wishing I could just strip my clothes off and jump in. Link walks up behind me after a little while.

"Is that apple pie I smelled in the kitchen?"

"It sure is. I can't wait to try a slice."

"Me either." He says pulling his boots off before sitting next to me, plunging his feet into the river. I do the same and the water is pleasantly cold and I let out a sigh, already feeling much better. Link offers his water canteen to me and I take a drink before handing it back, and he takes a swig as well. We sit there telling each other what we've been doing all day with the happy couple.

The meaty fried rice that Uli serves us rivals Link's heron mushroom skewers he made me yesterday afternoon. I can't decide if I like her stew better or not, it's such a close call. We're eating dinner quite early at three pm but I don't mind as I am hungry again. Uli brings the apple pie out to the table and we all salivate over it as Rusl sets a stack of small plates next to the pie. We agree that nobody is allowed a bite of the tempting desert until we all have a slice in front of us. Uli's apple pie is heaven in a perfect flaky shell, apples cooked to perfection, and just the right amount of sweetness and consistency to the delicious filling. I lick my fork clean thinking of a second slice but my belly tells me it's too full for that.

The couple offers to let us stay the night after dinner, but Link declines their offer for us and promises them we will come back sometime. We thank them happily for the meals and the amazing apple pie. Uli wrapped up two slices for us in a small wooden box to take with us, which I look forward to later. Rusl hugs Link and tells him that he better not disappear for two years again without a word to him, and we all laugh as I tell the man I'll make sure we come back before too long. Uli says that Link should write Rusl sometimes and gives him a stern look that a mom would give their child. Her expression and tone of voice make me think that she would be a great mother, along with her personality and warm kind heart. I wonder if the two will start a family.

Around five pm I gather my clothes off the line, the wind has been blowing and the clothesline's in the sun so they are dry already even if its only been maybe three hours. Link and I say goodbye before we walk our horses through the old Fort Hateno gate. Our next plan is to head towards Dueling Peaks. There's nothing but open fields full of tall grass over here, and we can clearly see the forest on the other side of the area. We ride down the well traveled road and pass a couple small lakes in the middle of the clearing. A herd of colorful wild horses drink from the lake as some herons sit on the edge of the water, watching over the surrounding area. I assume since so many of the animals are still around that Rusl went hunting in the archery contest field, or should I say the "Equestrian Riding Course" area it actually is. I wonder when the event for that will be held as I'd like to at least get to watch it. I ask Link and he says it's usually held in the early fall, the first week of September most years. My heart drops a little at that news because I know we won't be back here by then. Link and I talked about where we should go next as we sat next to the river. Our plan is it to make our way towards Central Hyrule, and then either go northeast towards Akkala, or west towards Hebra. Link wants me to pick which direction we go. I haven't decided yet but either way we go it will be a long trip away from here.

The ride over to the stables is short, as it's only across the field. There's a bridge a way down near the fork in the road that leads the opposite way up to Kakariko Village. We ride our horses to the left away from there and are about to pass the Dueling Peaks stable when a man calls out to us. Well, to Link really, since nobody around here actually knows me. We walk our horses over and dismount in front of a guy with a seriously huge backpack on his back. It's actually so big that I have no idea how his small frame is holding it up. A large chunk of wood carved into the shape of a beetle antenna is sticking out of the top above his head. His pack is literally bulging to the brim and I have to I assume he can't be carrying anything too heavy as it's easily twice as big as his body.

"Hey Beedle, you're still walking around with that huge backpack? Doesn't it ever get tiring?' Link greets and asks him.

"Sometimes, but a traveling merchant like me can't complain. I'm always up for being ready to sell my goods to anyone I meet! Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Not at the moment, but thanks."

"Hey, that man over there is looking for a marksman looking for a quick job. I saw you passing by and thought you might be interested. I can't think of anyone better for the job he is talking about, and everyone knows you're a bit crazy as well as a perfect shot. Maybe you should go and see if you can make some easy rupees."

Link looks over his shoulder and I tell him that we should go check it out. I'm not in any hurry and easy money is always a good idea to me. We lead our horses over near the cooking pot where a man with thick mustache and goatee is sitting. Link strikes up a conversation with him and we learn that he's looking for someone who can get him a nice bear hide, saying he'll pay that person a hefty amount of rupees if they are brave enough to take on such a task. I feel a bit anxious when he says that. I'm just thinking how anyone crazy enough to hunt down a bear is suicidal when Link says he'll do it.

I gape at him as the man, who introduced himself as Rensa, stands up and with an ecstatic "Great! I found a man for the job!"

I stand there with my brain drawing blanks as the two talk about the reward and how Link will get the bear back to the stable. A couple men just walking out of the inn inside say that they would be interested in helping out if Rensa throws some rupees their way. Link says that he'll sell them the meat for cheap if they help him out, which they agree to. Link says he needs to prepare for the job and the men tell him they are ready when he is.

I stand with my arms crossed by the cooking pot as Link walks off to board Epona at the stable and do whatever else it is he has to do. I think he's an idiot for taking on this job and I'm worried that something is going to go wrong. I'm surprised he's doing it at all, considering how his dad lost his life to a bear in the woods they'll be going to. I can't help but think that would deter him at least a little from this stupid idea. Link comes back to the cooking pot and asks me if I'd like to come along, to which I say no and that he shouldn't go either. He stands there for several seconds as I stare into his blue eyes, silently begging for him to change his mind. Link puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a reassuring smile.

"Zelda, I'll be fine. It's not the first time I've hunted a bear in these woods, I know what I'm doing."

"I sure hope you do." I say bitterly, biting my tongue before I say more. It's clear that I won't be able to talk him out of this and I don't even try to hide how much it upsets me. We just started traveling together, and he wants to put his life at risk for some rupees, which really bothers me because if I lose him I'm going to be alone again. I feel selfish for thinking like that but it's the truth, I've been so happy with him by my side since the archery contest. I look forward to a long adventure with him with a lot of fun and exciting memories.

If it were hunting anything else I wouldn't have a problem, but bears are among the most dangerous animals in Hyrule. Link assures me he'll be back in at most a couple hours and if he's not back by sunset to get Tassaren to send a search party. I narrow my eyes and scowl at him telling him that's not funny, and he apologizes and tells me that I have nothing to worry about, and to just trust him before telling the guys he's ready. I can't help but be worried about his safety above all else. I sigh as he walks away and try to relax knowing he at least understands that much.

While Link is on his suicidal hunting trip, I ride Starlett between the twin peaks that give the mountains their name. The sheer cliffs that tower over the river beside the narrow road are an extraordinary sight to behold. I already rode past this area before I visited Kakariko Village, briefly before Hateno, and I'm still impressed by the natural phenomenon. The tops of the cliffs look like they might have fit together in one piece at some point in the ancient past. I admire the landscape on the other side of the incredible mountains and turn right into an area of water that is surrounded on three sides below a much shorter cliff side. It's shady over here and hidden from sight by a small grove of trees.

I stretch my arms above my head to try to relieve a kink in my back. The sun feels hot on my skin and as the wind blows I get a whiff of my armpits, which makes me gag since they smell absolutely rancid. I hope that nobody else has noticed how smelly I've become because I feel extremely embarrassed about it. Looking at the hidden pool of water I decide that now would be a great time for a bath as I am alone and have a couple hours to myself. Thinking about it, I'm sure it's been at least four days since I really washed myself off, which makes me feel even more disgusting. But, I wash my face every day and when I am not able to bathe, I wipe myself down with the small towel I carry, so I am not totally gross but I am still pretty bad. I guess that Link and I did get a quick shower from the rain yesterday, but anything that was washed off us then was replaced by the heat of summer today. Besides, that hardly counts as "bathing."

I dismount Starlett and relieve her of her saddlebags for now, as it's going to be a while before I leave this spot. I take my hair out of its ponytail, and it takes me a while to comb out the knots considering it's been up since yesterday morning when we got caught in the rain. I grab my towel, my small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and a small bar of soap I bought from a girl in Kakariko Village before walk over to the water. I strip and step into the cold water and it feels absolutely wonderful on my skin in the hot sun. I instantly feel better as my sweat sticky skin is rinsed off. I take my time lathering myself up with the rose scented soap before I rinse myself off and enjoy the cool water some more before washing my hair. I feel so much better when I'm done and dressed in clean clothes.

I sit in the shade and finger comb my wet hair before I let it dry. Bathing was on the list of my "I'll have do this differently," that night Link asked me to join him when he left Hateno. I honestly don't know how we're going to work that out, but obviously it's just something we'll have to talk about along with countless other things. I lean back against the cliff side and close my eyes, listening to the sounds of nature all around me. I was born to be a traveler in this world, I know that with all of my heart. Being out and one with nature is my calling. The world is such a beautiful and amazing place, and no matter how many times I see the sights whether they be familiar or brand new, my breath is always taken away. I love my life on the road. I wouldn't go back in time and decide not to leave Lurelin if someone paid me a million rupees.

I load Starlett back up and head back to Dueling Peaks' stable after a while. I board her with Tassaren before grabbing an apple sitting on a stack of crates the stableman tells me I'm welcome to. I bake it under the lit cooking pot to the side of the stable and sit against the large tree behind it. I wonder if Link has killed a bear yet, or if he found one, and most importantly if he's even okay. I shake my head and tell myself to stop worrying about him. He wouldn't have assured me he'd back soon or even went if he didn't believe he would be just fine. I keep telling myself this as I slowly eat my baked apple, attempting to clear my mind and just enjoy the sweetness of it. I think of Uli's apple pie and I almost want to go get my slice and eat it right here, but I decide not to since I won't want to watch Link eat his later if I don't have one.

The sun starts to go down and the sky glows orange and red, setting everything in the soft glow of the sunset. I get up from my tree and walk over to look between the Dueling Peaks cliffs to see the water reflecting the colors of the sunset all the way down the river and far beyond that. It is so spectacular to look at, and it makes me love sunsets like everything else in nature ten times more. I stand in the middle of the wooden log bridge and watch the sun go down, stretching my arms above my head as I hear my name being shouted from my left.

I look over and see Link walking toward me with the two men he left with, and I feel relief fill my chest and I smile at the sight of him, alive. He has a rope in his hands like the other two with him, and I see that it's tied to a bunch of logs with a big black furry lump on it. My jaw drops a moment later because I can't believe he actually killed a bear. I run over to him and see the creature is even bigger than I thought it was, looking to be at least five feet tall. But I don't know how big bears are supposed to be I guess, as I have actually never seen one before. I ask Link if he's got another rope, and he looks at me with a confused expression.

"So I can help." I say.

"Oh." He finally says shaking his head no.

One of the other men tells me he has one, and I ask him to take it out since I want to help them pull the bear across the bridge to the stable. He pulls one out of his backpack before tying it to the logs for me and I take the end with a smile as Link tells me I don't have to help. I shrug and tell him that I want to, although I don't know why as they seem to have it already. The four of us drag the bear across the uneven bridge and it's a struggle, but eventually we make it to the other side and pull the bear up in front of the stable. Tassaren walks out of his stable as Rensa, the man who gave Link the job, runs over and throws his hands up in the air above his head, a giant grin on his lips.

"Wow! I didn't think you would actually come back with one. This boar is a beauty alright, his fur will make an amazing cloak for my client. Thank you so much for this!" He tells Link loudly and ecstatically while digging into his pocket and pulling out a large wallet. He holds it out to Link who takes it with a grin on his face, before looking inside and I see his eyes widen.

"Are you sure about this? This is a lot of rupees."

"Yes! It's the least I can do for you risking your life like that! Now, do you mind helping me skin it?"

Link shakes his head and Tassaren has them pull the bear far off from his stable by the river because he doesn't bear blood all over. I help the men pull it over to the river, but then I walk away not wishing to watch. I've seen people skin animals before, and it just isn't a pretty sight. I don't hunt animals with fur for this reason, because the idea of skinning an animal, even dead, makes my skin crawl and fills me with so much disgust that I can't even think straight. I mostly live off the meat of birds while I am on the road, as I just have to pluck off their feathers, gut, and cut them up. It's also not as messy to prepare a bird to eat as it is say a fox, a wolf, or a deer.

I go back and sit at my tree while the men work on skinning the bear. I hum to myself as the sun disappears behind the horizon, and I hope the guys will be fast on preparing that bear to be used later before it gets dark. It's about a hour and half before Link walks over and sits next to me.

"I sold the bear whole to those men, they can find out how to prepare all that meat and decide what to do with it. They paid me two hundred rupees for the whole thing. That's actually an awful deal for me but I don't really care, they can have it."

"How much did Rensa give you for the fur?"

Instead of answering, Link pulls the brown wallet of rupees out of his pocket and hands it to me. I look inside and my jaw drops. There's five gold rupees inside, equaling fifteen hundred in total, plus the two hundred the other men gave him. I know he already has a lot of money from winning the archery contest, so if he wasn't rich then, he certainly is now. I look at him with raised eyebrows and snap my gaping lips shut.

"Damn." I whisper. "You made bank."

"I know right? That's three times as much as I've ever made on any other random job."

"What are you gonna do now, Mr. Moneybags?" I ask, smirking.

"I have no idea." Link says laughing. "I don't even know how to be this wealthy."

"I have an idea, you can pay for my wants and needs for a while. Sound good?"

I'm only joking, but Link grins and says "alright!"

The wind blows and I smell a strong mix of body odor and fresh blood. He smells ten times worse than I did earlier. I tell him he should go wash before I throw up from his stench, and Link just laughs before getting up walking off to do so.


	9. Kakariko Village

Chapter 9

Kakariko Village

Link's PoV

We sit on two beds inside the Dueling Peaks Stable inn. The day is over and traveling at night can always be treacherous, even in a relatively safe place as this area. The most dangerous it gets near Kakariko and this stable are carnivorous animals that come outside at night, such as wolves and of course bears. Not that either animal comes from Bubinga forest very often.

I paid for Zelda's stay since I'm the rich one of us two, and I said I would "pay for her wants and needs." Zelda told me she was joking about that and I nodded telling her I know, but why not? She argued saying I didn't have to ever pay for her, as she had enough money and actually would rather buy her own things. But I still insisted I wanted to.

I lay back on the bed, my boots discarded on the floor next to my bow and sword. This day has taken a lot out of me and I am exhausted. Between woodcutting in the hot summer sun, and hunting down a bear, and then dragging it all the way back here, even with help, then skinning it which was not fun. Honestly, I hate skinning animals, especially big ones like that bear, but it can't be helped sometimes. I'm not queasy or anything, but it still gives me a bit of the chills to watch an animal's skin peel off their muscles. I think it bothers everyone, just most people are better at hiding it.

I laughed at Zelda's bluntness of telling me I stunk, which I already knew. The way she said it with her voice filled with utter disgust, and squeaky since her nose was pinched shut between her fingers, was impossible not to find hilarious. I went down the river a ways before submerging myself. The water felt incredible on my sore muscles, and I sat leaning back on the river bank as it numbed the aches and pains away. It's still humid and hot outside even now that the sun is down, so it also felt good because of that. June is the worst month of the year for heat in this region.

I stare up at the ceiling as I feel my eyelids drooping and am about to pass out when Zelda asks me a question.

"Hey Link. Will you teach me your arrow splitting shot… technique?...tomorrow? I haven't forgotten about you saying you would on the beach."

I hesitate before answering. I didn't exactly say that. I recall our conversation as we rode our horses through the sand on Hateno Beach.

"You know, I thought that I was going to win yesterday. But then you showed up and threw me off balance. How on earth did you do that with the arrow? That was really awesome."

"Splitting yours down the center? Easy, I just shot at it."

"There's got to be more to it than that. Come on, share your secrets with me."

"A master marksman never reveals his secrets."

"Not even for me?"

"I might make an exception."

I shouldn't have said that last part. I don't really want to teach her. That shot of mine is a rare talent. I have only met one other person who could pull it off, and that was a shock to me. I also have used that technique to win talent contests at the big competitions held yearly in Central Hyrule. It's a useful skill that I'm proud of. I know it's selfish, but I don't want anyone else doing it. I roll over and sit up on the bed and Zelda looking at me expectantly for an answer. She blinks her pretty viridian eyes with their long eyelashes as her eyebrows twitch in annoyance, probably at how long I'm taking to give her an answer.

"I didn't say I would teach you."

"Please. I need to be able to do that. It was one of the most awesome things I've ever seen someone do." She says giving me a smile and puppy dog eyes.

I take that as a high compliment, but I still shake my head. Her lips dip into a frown as her shoulders slump, but she still looks at me with begging eyes. I feel my resolve starting to slip and I have to look away from her.

Nope. Not happening, I'm not going to fall for a pretty girl's cute begging.

"No."

"You said you "might make an exception" for me." Zelda says quoting herself.

"Key word: might." I say laying back down, pulling the sheet over me and throwing the blanket to the foot of the bed as it's far too hot for it.

Tassaren announces he's turning the lights out in the open roomed inn for the night. There's four beds in the room we're in, each with privacy curtains that can be untied from the bed post if needed or wanted. I roll on my side and close my eyes as the lights turn off.

"Good night, Link." Zelda says, before I hear her yawn.

"Night Zelda."

In the morning, I find Zelda outside shooting a tree with at least twenty arrows sticking out of it. It barely takes me a second to realize what she must be doing. Since I said I wouldn't teach her, she's obviously trying to figure it out herself. I watch her for a minute, thinking about how she sure has some determination to take the task on anyway. I guess she was really serious about this. I take another step and my boot makes a couple rocks on the ground shift, making a small noise. Zelda looks over her shoulder with her bow still held in position.

"Oh, good morning Link." She says before she draws another arrow from her quiver and sails another arrow toward the one in the center of the tree where she's carved out a target. Her arrows come almost dead on with her first one, but she hasn't figured out how to hit it.

"Have you eaten yet?" I ask her and she lowers her bow, gritting her teeth and glaring at the tree in frustration. Her expression softens to normal before she looks over to me and shakes her head.

"I'll make us something." She says. "You made me breakfast yesterday."

A couple of minutes later we sit next to the cooking pot, which Zelda has placed a small metal bucket of water in the middle of. I have no idea what she's doing because I've never seen someone do this. I wait patiently on the small tree bench opposite of hers, as she cuts up an apple into tiny pieces before putting half of it into two bowls she poured something into a couple minutes ago. When the water starts to boil, Zelda wraps a shirt around her hands and picks the bucket up before turning to the two bowls and pours the water in each bowl. She stirs the contents with spoon. A minute later Zelda hands me a steaming bowl of light brown mush with a spoon. I eye the stuff in the bowl and poke it with the spoon and I notice Zelda giving me a strange look before I ask her what it is.

"It's oatmeal." Zelda says as if it should be obvious and I should recognize this strange stuff. I put my spoon in the bowl and scoop some up. She says it's really hot and to be careful, so I blow on it before putting it in my mouth. The texture is weird, and I taste the sweetness of the apple she put in it. I find myself savoring the taste.

"It's good." I say taking another bite.

"Have you never had oatmeal before?"

I shake my head and she raises her eyebrows in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

I nod as I take a couple more bites of the sweet apple flavored mush. I tell her I really like it. Zelda just stares at me before nodding and picking up the second bowl, beginning to eat herself.

"Oatmeal is just oats and hot water. I cut up an apple and put a little cane sugar in it, but you can add whatever fruit you want to it for flavor. A man down in Faron taught me to make it this way one morning, and it's easy and cheap so I eat it a lot."

Oats? Like the ones you can feed horses? I had no idea they would turn into a meal of you just added water. I almost say that out loud before I realize how dumb it would sound.

After breakfast, Zelda says she's going back to practice the "arrow thing," and I'm surprised since she looked so aggravated earlier. But clearly she doesn't give up on something once she's started. I sit by the cooking pot for a while before boredom sets in and I go into the horse stables. On the opposite side the inn walls sits a couple stalls which our horses and two others are in. I hang around in there for a hour tending to our horses before I go outside. I see Zelda nearby the tree I found her at before. She walks over to it and removes her arrows before going back to her shooting spot. I watch her do this twice more, and her lips are set in a tight line each time she repeats the process. Observing her fail over and over is almost painful for me to watch, as the trick shot is so easy for me to pull off. I see her glance over at me before continuing and I shake my head, walking over next to her.

"You really want to get this down, don't you?"

"Of course. It would be much easier if you'd just teach me. Then we could be on our way from this stable. I'm not going anywhere till I master this, just so you know."

I don't want to stick around here all day, and the way Zelda says that is so matter-of-fact that I know it's true. But does she really have the endurance and willpower for that? I bite my lip as I walk over to her. I know I said I wouldn't give in, but I also don't have very much patience. I start to think about my selfish reason for not wanting to teach her, and decide that her having the skill wouldn't really be that bad. There's also no guarantee she'll be able to do it at all. Zelda looks over her shoulder at me and smiles before continuing to shoot her arrows. Biting my lip and closing my eyes, I give up on being stubborn and break my silent promise to myself about not falling for her charm. Goodbye special skill of mine.

"Fine. I'll teach you."

Zelda pauses, then looks over to me with a satisfied smirk and I know I've done exactly what she wanted all along. I fight back the urge to sigh and start giving her tips. I tell her that the trick is to aim for the fletching of the arrow, and a few shots later, her arrow grazes it making the feathers twitch. It takes her several more tries but eventually she makes the end of her previous arrow crack, and the last one she shoots splits it down the middle making the satisfying "ching" of metal on metal as the arrowheads collide. I try to bury the envy rising up in my blood, as she managed to do it much quicker that I learned to. In fact, she made it look so easy that I'm jealous and grit my teeth together as Zelda ruins a few more arrows with her already mastered shot.

"Thanks Link."

I force a half smile onto my face and say "You're welcome." I swallow down my annoyance as we walk back to the stable. I know that she can't help it she got my trick down so easily, but it still makes me feel a bit depressed.

Zelda wants to know what happened on my bear hunt yesterday, so I tell her how it went down as we get our horses ready to leave. I don't have much to say as it wasn't all that exciting, unlike the first time I encountered a bear in those woods. Regardless, she listens intently as I tell her I found the bear, had the other guys hide behind some bushes about a hundred feet away as I snuck through the woods till I was fifty feet away. My heart was thundering in fear the closer I got and I froze for a second when my foot landed on a broken tree branch, a stupid mistake a rookie hunter would make. The black bear turned its head toward me immediately raising up on it's hind legs without a noise. I ducked behind a tree and peeked back over to it a couple seconds later to see it had relaxed and gotten back down on four paws, losing interest in the noise I had made, and I let out the breath I had been holding realizing it didn't see me.

I took a deep breath and slowly made my way behind some low brush, not daring to get closer than thirty feet before I raised my bow and a carefully placed arrow. I took my shot the moment I had an opening at its heart. The bear went down after letting out a scream and landing with loud thunk on top of a patch of yellow flowers. I waited several seconds before going over and checking out my kill, before going back to the other men and telling them I had killed the bear. Like expected, they were both in disbelief until they saw the large mass of black fur on the ground. We stood around for several minutes before finally coming up with the idea to make a log platform to drag it back with. It was almost impossible for us to get the bear on the logs, but working together we were finally able to drag it on.

"Were you scared?" Zelda asks, when I'm done story telling.

"Terrified." I say laughing. "Who wouldn't be? You saw that monster."

"I was afraid for you. I was beyond relieved when you came back safe."

Her voice is quiet and she looks down at the ground when she says it. I knew she was worried about me when I left, I just didn't realize how much. She appeared to have also been quite mad at me, obviously thinking I was stupid and had a death wish or something. I didn't miss the look on her face when I came back last night.

"I said I'd be back, didn't I?"

Zelda's PoV

We ride our horses away from Dueling Peaks' stable with nothing but the sound of hoofbeats to accompany us. The birds have stopped their morning singing as we ride back the way we came from yesterday, and make our way across the bridge heading up towards Kakariko. I can't get a certain string of words he said last night out if my head.

"We are companions now Zelda, I don't mind helping you out, whether or not you want the help. Let me treat you, okay?"

My face had gone so red when he said that, and I don't even know why. Maybe it was the words he picked to say it, the tone of his voice, or even maybe his eyes? Really, it could have been all the above. Link just seemed so sweet that I couldn't even come up with a thought and I gave up on arguing with him as he handed over forty rupees to Tassaren. I would rather have paid for my own stay, but just like in Hateno when we ate dinner together the night of the contest, he wouldn't let me.

We walk our horses up to the village gate and just like when I was here before, people are wearing about the same attire of white and blue walk throughout the village. The Sheikah all have white hair and black or dark colored eyes. This is the only village I have ever been to where everyone looks similar enough to be possibly related. A couple of men and women greet Link warmly.

The sky begins to sprinkle rain as we bring our horses up to the stable on the hill. When we are done we walk down to the biggest house in the village with a giant staircase in front of it. A waterfall flows right behind the home, adding to the already very peaceful and beautiful scene. I remember seeing this house when I was here before as it is impossible to miss. Link tells me this is Impa's house which shocks me a bit. I didn't expect this to be the house he grew up in.

We walk inside to a large rectangular room with a kitchen straight ahead from the front door. To the right side of the room there is a table with four chairs placed around it, and opposite from there sits a white couch with a long coffee table in front of it. Two staircases lead upstairs above the kitchen. We stand right before the door, taking off our shoes when Link tells me Impa will have a hernia if we get dirt on her floor. A couple seconds later a girl with long white hair and brown eyes walks down the staircase on the right. She smiles when she sees us, or rather, when she sees Link.

"Hey Link, I wasn't expecting to see you back here so soon. You practically just left. Who's your friend?"

"This is Zelda." Link says gesturing to me with his hand, then turns to me. " Zelda this is Purah's little sister, Paya."

Paya is taller than her older sister and she stands about eye height with me, which is five-foot-six, maybe a little taller. Where Purah is probably about five-four and I had to look down talking to her. Paya's voice is small and quiet, a huge contrast to Purah's loud and high pitched vocal chords. Her looks are also much softer than her sister's. Paya holds her hand out to me with a shy smile and I take it and shake.

"It's nice to meet you, Zelda. I actually think I've seen you before."

"Likewise, Paya. I was in Kakariko a couple weeks ago, so it's possible you might have."

An older woman who looks to be about forty or so walks in the front door. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she is taller than Paya is. I can only guess that she must be Impa.

"Link! Well you weren't gone long." She says walking over and hugging him. Paya looks similar to her in looks but obviously younger. "You must be back for the Pumpkin Festival."

After Link says yes he introduces us to which my guess was right. Impa gives me a strong look down that makes me feel a little bit like a fly in a spider's web for a couple seconds. I can't help but wonder why she's giving me such a look. I smile weakly and Impa's serious expression turns into a smile.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Zelda." Impa's eyes move to Link. "It's been a while since you brought a girl home."

I watch Link and Impa shoot a few comments back and forth at that. I ask what the Pumpkin Festival is, and Impa explains it is a yearly celebration they hold every June. It's named after the fortified pumpkins that Kakariko Village is famous for, but it's more to celebrate the unification of Hyrule's races. People from all over the world come to the village for the celebration. Impa is in charge of the festivities and the festival starts the day after tomorrow.

"Don't get in Impa's way when Pumpkin Festival is going, she may eat you." Link whispers in my ear as Impa walks to the other side of the room. I laugh out loud.

"I heard that, Link. You always underestimate my hearing." Impa says.

"Maybe I wanted you to hear me."

"Where are you from, Zelda?"

"Lurelin Village, but I was staying in Hateno. I actually stayed with Purah for the past two weeks."

"Ahh, so you know my rambunctious daughter. I hope she wasn't too much of a pain for you."

I laugh. "Not at all, she let me stay in her house for free."

"How very unlike her." Paya's little voice chimes in. "My sister is not really the sharing or hospitable type. I wouldn't think she would let a girl she doesn't know stay with her."

"Apparently Zelda saved her from a pervert." Link says.

"It makes sense now." Impa says putting her hand on her hip. "Are you staying for the festival too, Zelda?"

"I'm staying until Link leaves. We are traveling together."

Nobody says anything for several seconds and Impa walks over to Link and stops. "Huh, it's about time."

I look to Link whose eyes are locked with Impa's and his expression changes from confused to shocked. He holds his hands up in front of him and I raise my eyebrow before he speaks.

"It's not like that, she's just a friend. Actually we just started traveling together the day before yesterday."

Not like that? I wonder, but then I get it. Impa must have assumed we were dating or something, which isn't really a jump to conclusion as a lot of male and female travelers on the road are partners. I listen to Link and Impa talking and she's teasing him like mom's do, adoptive or not. Watching them reminds me of my own mom, she always makes a big deal of it when Tetra and I go out with a guy.

"Where's Aryll?" Link asks Impa.

I had temporarily forgotten about his little sister. I smile as I realize I really want to meet her. Link talked about her fondly as we talked of our siblings together.

"She's helping Claree at the clothing shop today. She said she'd be back for lunch, but she's probably staying inside until the rain lets up, it just started raining.

Link nods and turns to me. "I guess you'll have to wait till later to meet Aryll. Do you want to see upstairs?"

"Sure."

We walk up the stairs that lead to a narrow hallway with three steps leading up to two doors right next to each other. Link slides the door on the right open, and it retracts into the wall. There's not much inside except for a bed, a small table next to that, and a couple pictures on the walls. The bed is neatly made and doesn't look like anyone has slept in it for a while. The rest of the room is spotlessly clean. If it weren't for the scuffs on the wood floor and a few dents in the walls I'd say that nobody ever lived in here. What Link says next is almost like he's read my mind.

"I guess somebody cleaned my room so well that I may have never actually lived here. It was a disaster when I left a couple days ago, I've never been too good at keeping it nice in here."

"Liiiink! Where are you?" We hear a girl's voice shout from downstairs.

"It must have stopped raining." I say.

We leave the room and walk back downstairs where, at the bottom, is a short blonde girl with blue eyes. She wears her hair in two long braids over her shoulders and smiles widely when she sees Link. A second later she's hugging him tightly. I know without being told that this is Aryll, because she looks so much like Link it isn't even funny. She hugs him tightly, and she's so much shorter than he is that she hardly comes to his shoulders. I smile when I remember his comment about her hugging him every time he comes home when we laid under the stars a couple nights ago.

"I haven't even been gone three days, you know."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't hug you, Linky."

I see Link's expression harden at the nickname that I know he hates, and I stiffle a giggle as Aryll lets go of him and steps away. Her eyes go to me then, and I see her expression turn to a judgy one. I don't have to wonder what she's thinking for more than a couple seconds before she turns back to her brother.

"You brought a pretty girl home. I was wondering when you would man up and find yourself a girlfriend."

Link groans and I laugh. "I hate having to repeat myself, couldn't you have come home like, five minutes ago? This is Zelda, and she isn't my girlfriend, I met her in Hateno Village at the archery contest. She actually almost beat me."

"I guess you're not as good as you think you are if a girl could match you." She says before stepping around him and standing in front of me. The two of us haven't spoken a word and I already like her. I can't help but feel a bit irritated about how he just said that, through, as if it would have been a shock.

"Hi Zelda. My name is Aryll, but I'm guessing you already know that."

"Yeah, Link has told me about you and your family already, but don't worry, it's all good stuff."

Aryll smiles and she no longer has a look of judgement toward me. "That doesn't surprise me at all. He's always been such a softy."

I laugh and I see Link shake his head behind her. Aryll looks over her shoulder as if she can tell he is responding to that statement in a silent manner. Or perhaps it's because she just noticed me look at him when she said that, probably the latter.

"What? You are and you know it." She says matter-of-factly before sticking her tongue out at him.

"Lunch is ready." Impa tells us as she walks from the kitchen holding a silver pot.

Link, Paya, Aryll, and I all sit at a medium sized table with four chairs around it. The table sits on a blue rug with the bleeding-eye Sheikah symbol on it. On the table are four empty bowls and spoons. Impa sets the small pot down in the center of the table and I see that it is a stew with meat and vegetables. She sets a wooden ladle down beside it. Impa stands at the end of the table and I realize that I must be occupying the chair she usually sits in. I go to stand up so she can sit instead but the woman insists I stay sitting. I ask if she's sure as I don't want to be a burden as I'm their unexpected guest, but Impa nods and assures me that it's fine. The stew is delicious and I scrape every bit of the broth out of my bowl.

After the meal I help Impa with the dishes as gratitude for feeding me and offering to let me stay in her house. That second part she added on with an awkward "but you're staying in the girls' room at night." I obviously don't have a problem with that at all. I look forward to getting to know Aryll and Paya.

That night, I'm sitting in the bedroom upstairs with the two girls, who reminisce about last year's Pumpkin Festival. They talk about a Hylian girl who Link asked to dance. She turned him down so harshly everyone who saw felt sorry for him.

"She was so brutal. I remember her words." She clears her throat "Eww...I wouldn't dance with you pretty boy." Aryll says in a fake, strung up, prissy girl voice. All three of us burst out laughing.

"I have the feeling he won't have that problem this year." She says glancing at me and I raise my eyebrows.

"Oh come on, Zelda, there must be something special about you. I'm pretty sure my brother wouldn't have asked you to be his traveling companion otherwise. He doesn't seem it on the outside, but he's actually pretty shy. You must have made some sort of impression, and you obviously joined him for some reason." She wiggles her eyebrows like Purah did before we left, suggestively hinting at something else and I roll my eyes. "I know you can't have known him very long before you decided to join Link on the road. He was only gone three days."

"I guess so." I say hoping my face isn't giving away the fact she is completely right. I change the subject with the first thing I can come up with. "I can imagine that you three made his life hell growing up. It must have been hard for Link having three sisters."

"Naturally." Aryll says with a smirk. "We've always kept him in line."

We continue to talk about random stuff for a while. Purah and Paya couldn't be more different. Where Purah was loud, blunt, boisterous and full of words, Paya is sweet, kind, and very quiet. Aryll does most of the talking as she goes on and on about the boy who visited the clothing shop today, how Impa is making her help prepare for the festival, and of course about me. She has a lot of questions concerning me especially, but I don't mind answering them. Aryll is nosy but I can't help but like her like I like Purah.

I realize I haven't seen another man around here and I wonder where their dad is. Link didn't mention a man fitting that description when he told me about everyone. I build up the courage to ask Paya, hoping there isn't another sad reason behind him never mentioning him.

"My dad is away right now, he travels to Akkala for work at the Ancient Tech Lab with my uncle Robbie. They are both heavily invested in advancing Sheikah technology. We don't see him very often because of it, but he'll be home for the Pumpkin Festival."

I'm relieved to know there isn't any tragedy. I guess I'm on high alert ever since Link told me both his parents are dead. I don't usually think so sad and morbidly, I should really stop that because obviously Link and Aryll are just fine as they have Impa's family, so I don't need to worry about them. I crawl in my sleeping bag, which I retrieved from the stables along with the rest of my important belongings. Paya blows out the candles lighting the room and says good night to us.


	10. Having Fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was some mistake posting on my part, somehow chapter 10 ended up showing duplicate of another chapter. (I think, I'm new to this site.) I fixed it.  
> Sorry! Here's the real chapter 10

Chapter 10

Having Fun

-Link's PoV-

The next morning I wake with the smell of bacon in my nose. I instinctively lick my lips as my mouth waters. Crawling out of the bed, I stretch my hands toward the ceiling and my back cracks in a good way. My door slides open and I see Aryll standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Get your butt downstairs, Link, breakfast is getting cold on your plate. Everyone else has already eaten."

"Well, if it's already cold then there's no need for me hurry and eat it."

I follow her downstairs and see that Zelda is sitting at the table still. She says good morning to me as Impa says it's about time I got my ass out of bed. I look at my Sheikah watch and see that it is only eight-thirty, so I don't know what the big deal is. I know that none of them ever even wake up till at least eight. I sigh heavily as I sit down and start eating my cucco eggs and bacon. Zelda asks if I slept well.

"Yeah I did, thanks. I dunno why Aryll had to come get me, I was already awake."

"I told her to." Impa says from behind by back.

"I should have guessed." I say looking over my shoulder.

"Cado requests that you help hunt for the festival feast. I told him you would go."

"Of course they need me. Thanks for the volunteering..." I say with groan turning back to my food.

"Stop whining, Link. You didn't help them last year or the year before. It's good for you to help the village from time to time while you are here."

I honestly don't want to go hunting today. A lot of food is needed to feed everyone in the village tomorrow. It's going to take the entire day, but I should have known that I'd get roped into this coming home a day before the festival. Before I left Kakariko the first time, I went every year to help prepare for this feast, but even if I haven't helped them out for a couple years I'm no happier to have to do so. I honestly prefer to just be lazy and lounge around when I'm home. I should have known that Impa would find me something to do.

When I'm done eating, I go wash up and get dressed. I grab my golden bow and a quiver of thirty arrows after putting my weapons belt over my right shoulder. I put my bow in place and grab my sword as well. Zelda asks if she should come when I walk downstairs, saying she could help out as well and I agree. I'm about to tell her she can come along when Impa cuts in saying she needs her for other things today.

Outside, at the bottom of the stairs, I meet up with a team of five men equipped with bows and arrows. Dorian, leader of the hunting party, says that he is glad to have me this year as I've been skipping out on them for the past three. I put my hands up and say that I had no choice, as Impa would have bitten my head off if I refused. The men laugh and then we head up to the horse stables. I ready Epona and, when everyone else is ready to go, we leave the village. I roll a kink out of my neck as we ride down the hill to Kakariko Bridge. It's a clear and bright sunny morning in late June and the weather is already warm. The six of us ride down to Dueling Peaks Stable and leave our horses with Tassaren, and then walk into Bubinga Forest.

I used to refuse to come here when I was younger. It's where my dad lost his life. But as the years passed I got over the pain and sorrow that this forest brought me. I have plenty of good memories down here before that dreadful day. My dad sometimes brought me on his hunting trips and taught me how to track animals. He taught me how to shoot a bow down here when I was six, teaching me the right techniques and how to hold it. The memory is fresh in my mind as we pass the tree with the faded painted target he nailed to it back then. I remember the proud smile he gave me when I hit that target for the first time. He'd said "Great job, Link. You're going to be a fine archer one day." I look to the sky and wonder if he would be proud of me today.

We split up and head out. A couple of us go to Hickaly Woods for the herons, and the rest of us go to Bubinga Forest for the deer and wolves, and the mountain rams that wonder down here as well. I go with the group heading to Bubinga, and walk slowly through the woods the opposite direction of everyone else.

-Zelda's PoV-

I'm a little bummed out when Impa says she needs me to stay in the village. I actually wanted to go hunting with Link. Impa tells me not to look so down, as he will be back later. She winks as she says it with a knowing smile and voice, the kind that moms use when they are teasing their kids over somebody they like. I feel my cheeks flush red and she laughs so I don't even bother denying that I only wanted to go because Link was going. Impa tells me that us girls are going to help with baking the sweets to go along with the feast. I'm volunteered into this because I happen to be around. Not that I mind, it's the least I can do and I would be bored otherwise.

Aryll walks down stairs and sighs. "What did we need again, Impa?"

Impa hands Aryll a piece of paper with a list on it, as well as a bag of rupees. "Only buy what's on that list please. I don't have rupees to spare your needs and desires today, Aryll. Zelda, would you go with her? It's going to be a lot to carry back up here."

"Sure."

"Yay! Grocery shopping..." Aryll says sarcastically as I walk over ready to go.

We leave the house and walk down the long staircase. I follow her a couple of houses down to one with a sign in front that says "Trissa's Produce." We go inside and there are tables with all sorts of fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and butter among other things. We grab the straw basket by the door and Aryll tells me what to grab. The older lady running the store greets us warmly as we shop.

"Morning Trissa. It's going to be a long day. It's summer and I'm stuck inside cooking all day with Impa." Aryll says, pouting.

"You're gonna get wrinkles frowning like that little girl. You better perk up or you'll look as old as me in no time."

"You're so full of it, Trissa, but that's why I like you." Aryll says smirking.

Trissa chuckles. "I know. But seriously, don't look so down. It's all for tomorrow, and you'll have nothing but fun."

When we get back to the house, Paya is downstairs with a white apron on. Aryll and I set the groceries on the table and I notice that Impa isn't around. We're quickly informed that she went down to to get some pumpkins for pies.

"Impa always leaves Paya in charge of the baking anyway. This crazy girl loves cooking." Aryll tells me as she puts her arm over her shoulders, which looks a little awkward considering she is a couple of inches shorter.

"It's not as bad as you make it. Besides, what boy is going to want a wife that can't cook?" Paya says defending herself, and I'm not expecting the burn in her cute voice.

"I can cook...just not as well as you can." Aryll says unsteadily before turning to me. "What about you?"

"I don't know much about cooking sweets, but I'm good at following directions."

The next several hours I spend learning how to make several different types of pies and cakes. Paya is very into baking, and she gives Aryll and I tasks in an authoritative, but polite, tone of voice. We also make different dishes made of apples and a lot of honey candy. It's a lot of fun to cook with Paya and Aryll, and we laugh a lot scrambling around the kitchen doing various things.

After an early dinner at three, Impa tells us girls that we are free to go and do whatever we like. Aryll lets out a huge sigh and says "Finally!" before she exclaims whats up on her mind.

"Let's go swimming! I'm melting in this house, and it's so hot outside."

Paya tries to say she doesn't want to, but Aryll won't have it as she pushes her upstairs. I follow the two of them. Swimming sounds fun to me, but I don't have anything to wear in the water. I tell Aryll this and she grins before pulling out a tanktop and a pair of shorts and holding them out to me.

"You're about my size I think, so you can wear these for today."

We all change and grab some towels from a small dresser sitting against the wall across from theirs and Link's room. I ask why one of them haven't taken over his room since he is never there.

"I would feel weird sleeping in his bed." Paya says, her cheeks a little red.

"It smells like him in there, and besides I feel better with someone else in the room when I sleep. Paya is my roomie buddy." Aryll answers and then looks at Paya. "Oh...for heavens sakes, Paya! Why are you blushing? I thought you were over that stupid little crush you had on my brother."

Paya's face goes bright red before scrunching up in anger. Her voice is raised when she speaks. "I am! Geez Aryll, I do have a boyfriend now, and do you have to tell everyone that?"

I stand there looking between both girls for several seconds. Crush on her brother? Paya likes, or liked Link? This revelation consumes my thoughts for the silent moments between the two girls as Paya continues to glare at Aryll and Link's sister stares at her with a shocked expression. I hardly know Paya, but even I am surprised by the rage and bite in her voice. It breaks the sweet, cute demeanor she has. Aryll's mouth opens and closes a few times before she finally responds to Paya, her voice is really quiet.

"I'm sorry, Paya. I didn't think that it bothered you so much. I mean, everyone knows that without me telling them."

"That doesn't mean you have to say it." Paya says, but she doesn't sound mad anymore. "I forgive you. Just, please don't bring it up anymore okay? I've moved on."

"You got it." Aryll says smiling and hugging her. Paya gives her a squeeze back.

I watch this whole scene behind them in silence and I wonder how of all things Purah hadn't brought this up once. I can't help but find their making up over the little fight endearing. It's clear that the two girls are very close and they love each other. They seem to have forgotten all about me before they both look back.

"Sorry Zelda. Let's go swimming now." Aryll says.

We walk back downstairs and Impa calls out "Don't come back too late." before we walk out the door. I wonder where there is to go swimming around here as I don't remember seeing a lake close to this village, unless we are going down to the river by Dueling Peaks. Confused on that thought, I follow Paya and Aryll up the road that leads to the hill where the stables are. We walk past them and up through a grass path into the woods. The path winds up the hill and the sounds of birds and even the hooting of an owl is heard among the trees.

Aryll drops her towel and kicks off her shoes, before running up and to the left. She jumps into a crystal clear pond just past the trees, hitting the water in the cannonball position that makes a huge splash for her small body. A second later her head emerges from the surface as she grins at Paya and I who are standing above her.

"Come on in, guys! It feels great!" She shouts.

I smile before kicking off the sandals she let me borrow and drop the towel where she deposited hers. I take a jogging start before running and jumping in as well. The water is freezing cold and I pop my head out of the water with a gasp, shivering for a couple of seconds before my body gets used to the temperature. Then she's right, it does feel great.

"Come on, Paya!" Aryll calls.

"I don't want to." The quieter girl says. Aryll rolls her eyes and swims over to the shore where it slants upwards so getting out of the water is easy. She jogs around Paya and I watch as she backs her up her toward the small wooden log bridge that reaches across the water.

"You better kick your shoes off and jump before I push you in." Aryll threatens with a joking tone of voice.

"Don't you dare." Paya says stepping out of her shoes.

"Three...two..."

"Alright!" Paya says throwing her towel towards the shore in a ball. But Aryll doesn't wait for her jump herself before pushing her off the bridge. Paya screams before she hits the water in a huge splash and Aryll throws her head back in laughter.

"Aryll! You said you wouldn't push me!" Paya shrieks when she swims back to the surface, between coughing up some water.

"I lied." Aryll says sticking her tongue out.

I feel sorry for Paya, but then I have an idea as Aryll stands with her back to me. I swim over quietly as the two girls bicker and reach up and grab the edge of the bridge, pulling myself up on my elbows. I grab Aryll's ankle and pull it towards me. Aryll loses her balance and screams in surprise as she falls backwards. Unfortunately for me however, she falls right onto me and we both plunge underwater. When we both resurface Paya is the one laughing. She gasps between breaths as she speaks.

"Nice Zelda! But are you both okay?"

We both say yes after were done coughing up water, and Aryll sneers at me for a second but then she bursts out laughing with Paya.

"You had it coming." I say grinning.

"Okay okay, I deserved that!"

Aryll splashes me in the face and I gasp, before I splash her back and end up hitting Paya as well, which starts a war. The three of us play in the nice refreshing water and I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. After a while they want to know all about Lurelin, as neither of them have been there before. I tell them about the beaches, the sea, and the caves down there and both girls listen intently.

Aryll wants to know how I met her brother with details and I laugh. I tell her how I thought I was going to win the contest, and then he shows up pretty much becomes a show off with the whole splitting my arrow in half thing. Then I recall him sneaking up on me in his hooded jacket, a mistake on his part as I easily got behind him with my knife out. I tell them he looked so afraid right after that, standing there before he asked me to dinner. Paya and Aryll laugh and comment about him being a creeper, but also they think that the story is really romantic. I hadn't really thought about it like that at all. I can't really follow where the "romantic" part of me holding a knife to his throat is. Looking back, I only feel bad about that now.

Paya and I talk for a while before Aryll comes up behind us. I am surprised to see a hyrule bass in her bare hands. With all the ruckus and laughing we've made, I find it hard to believe that the fish in this pond aren't off and hiding along the bottom. But I'm more impressed with the fact that she's managing to hold onto it as it flips and fights in her hands. She gives Paya a mischievous smirk before raising her arms to probably throw it at her, but she doesn't get the chance as the fish slips from between her fingers and goes flying right at her face. Paya and I both gasp, and Aryll is silent for a moment before she starts laughing and then we are all hysterically gasping for air. It is the most comical thing I have witnessed in who knows how long.

The sun begins to disappear behind the tree tops and shadows rest over the lake we are swimming in. Aryll asks if we would like to go watch the sunset. I nod enthusiastically as I love sunsets, and Paya says "Sure." So we climb out of the pond and dry off, before walking through the trees uphill with our towels wrapped around us. At the top of the hill I see that Kakariko Village is in plain sight right below us and you can see the entire village. In the distance behind the mountains around Kakariko the sky glows red, orange, and yellow with white fluffy clouds across the horizon making a gorgeous scene. The village looks so lovely and tranquil below us and I see several people walking around still, no doubt preparing for the festival tomorrow. The three of us make our way back down to the village just after the sun vanishes beyond the horizon.

Hanging out with the girls makes me miss the friends I have back in Lurelin. I felt the same way often when I stayed with Purah, especially missing my sister and wishing she were with me. I feel a little sad before I look at Paya and Aryll again. I may have just met them yesterday, but I already feel a close connection to both girls. Aryll is loud, extremely sarcastic, and a bit obnoxious, but she is hilariously funny. Paya seems so sweet and shy, and she also has a fun and teasing side to her, along with sarcasm that matches Aryll's. I love both of them already.

When we get to the bottom of the stairs in front of Impa's house, Link is walking across the grass toward the house as well. He walks over to me as Paya makes her way up the stairs. I hear Aryll call out "Oh no, the lovebirds are back together!" before she turns and laughs walking up behind Paya. I bite my lip giving her a look that she doesn't see since she isn't facing me, before turning back to Link.

"So, did you have fun with my sisters?"

"Yes, we went swimming and then watched the sunset after helping Impa in the kitchen, making pies and candy for tomorrow."

"Sounds like you had a much more fun and peaceful day than I had. You're lucky Impa had you stay behind, you wouldn't have enjoyed gutting and skinning animals."

I nod, as he's right. I am very, very glad I didn't go with him now. I smell an extremely familiar, gross scent wafting through the air. The smell of blood and sweat just like last night. I back away from him with my fingers pinching my nose and Link laughs.

"Yeah, I don't smell too great right now. I'm just glad I won't have to help cook everything up tomorrow afternoon. I'll be free all day!"

He says victoriously, pumping his fist up in the air. I laugh at his enthusiasm, grinning. A breeze blows through the night air and I catch another whiff of the awful scent emanating from him. My face scrunches up in disgust and Link starts laughing at my reaction again, so I start to laugh too, trying not to gag.

"Well, I'll be in soon. If I walked in those doors up there like this, I'm sure Impa would drag me back down here herself."

"You're right I would." Impa's voice cuts through the air behind us, making both us jump, startled. I spin on my heel and the woman is standing there with one hand on her hip and a small bag in her other. She tosses the bag to Link, who catches it easily. "Scrub yourself down twice. I don't need that stench in my house again."

"I was planning on it." Link says, turning and walking away up the hill the girls and I just walked down. I turn and walk up the stairs following Impa inside.


	11. The Pumpkin Festival: Part 1

Chapter 11

The Pumpkin Festival: Part 1

Zelda's PoV

By noon, Kakariko Village is swarmed with people from all of Hyrule. I even spot some Gerudo women from the far away Gerudo Desert, and a couple Gorons from Death mountain. Both of those regions are beyond several miles away from Kakariko Village, so I'm surprised to see people from either race here. Impa woke Paya, Aryll, Link, and I up early telling us we had work to do. We've been putting up decorations such as paper lanterns that kids made, streamers made of vines and flowers, and wooden signs around the village that say various things since eight am. At the moment, I stand on a ladder with thin piece of board with Paya at my feet securing my ladder, as Link holds the other side up with Aryll spotting his. We are holding a large sign that says "Kakariko Pumpkin Festival" with with two pumpkins on each side of the letters, which Paya painted a couple of days ago. When the sign is in place the girls hand us two orange lanterns to hang on both sides. When we're done the four of stand back outside the village and admire our work, and I'm surprised the sign is even straight considering the trouble I had tying my side up with the rope.

Impa walks over and tells Link to go help a girl named Lasli carry some heavy boxes down to the village square. She has the three of us girls follow her back to the house to help carry all the pies and candy we made yesterday down to the tables next to Trissa's shop. The sooner we get everything set up the sooner we can enjoy the day. A couple of outdoor cooking pots are being moved over next to the tables to make cooking food easier and more convenient.

"HELLLOOOOOO!"

We suddenly hear someone shout very loudly just then and I turn around with the girls and grin at who I see. Purah is running from the village gates in our direction and Aryll and Paya take off running toward her a second later. Paya yells her big sister's name and then the three girls are hugging in a haphazard circle. Purah looks over Aryll's shoulder and tells me to "get over here!" too, so I join their hug before we all step apart.

"Purah, you have to come visit us more often. There are more reasons than the pumpkin festival to come visit us, it's been faaaar too long!" Aryll complains with a scowl, and Paya stares her down the same way.

"Well you little brats, I'm here now!" Purah says putting her hands on her hips before smiling. "I'm glad to know you missed me."

I raise my eyebrows at her use of "little brats," and I find myself actually wondering how old Paya and Aryll are. I know for a fact that Purah is twenty-five, and the other two girls barely look sixteen or seventeen, not that Purah really looks much older than that herself. I remember that Link told me Aryll is two years younger than he is which reminds me that I don't even know how old he is. With how little Aryll appears to be I hope that he isn't younger than I am. Well, not that it really matters that much.

"I always miss you, Purah." Paya says hugging her older sister again, and Purah smiles hugging her tightly.

From behind us a familiar voice is heard and I look over my shoulder to see Impa walking toward us. Purah steps around her sisters and hugs her mother tightly with a grin. Impa scolds her for not coming around sooner, also saying that she promised that she would visit Kakariko regularly after she moved away and of course, hasn't. Purah apologizes when Impa stares her down with a scalding look.

"Well, if it isn't Zelda. I was hoping I would meet you again."

I hear from behind me in an unmistakable voice. I only met him once while in Hateno, but I know who it is before I turn around to see a certain balding carpenter in pink trousers approaching.

"Hey Bolson, it's nice to see you too." I say smiling. I rather enjoyed the company of the flamboyant carpenter man when we had tea together. I'm genuinely happy to see him again.

"Karson, Hudson, and I traveled over here with my favorite lovely Princess, Purah. Not that I'm complaining, this festival always is a hoot." He says slowly, in his own typical fashion that only he has. There's no bite in the word "princess," he just puts more emphasis on the word as he speaks. I know that he and Purah are close friends. It doesn't surprise me at all with their personalities.

I chat with Bolson a minute longer before Purah jogs over next to Link, whom now is next to the pond setting down a large box. We all walk over to the two of them.

"Hey Linky." Purah says hugging him when she can.

"You know you're sort of like an excited dog when we meet up again each time, kind of like someone else I know." Link says looking over her shoulder and straight at Aryll, who scoffs and crosses her arms. Purah pushes Link away and sticks her finger in his face an inch from his nose suddenly, making him back up a couple of steps in surprise.

"You should be happy that so many girls are happy to see you, we are family after all and we love you. Don't you love us?"

The rest of us just laugh as Link puts the palm of his hand to his forehead.

An hour later I stand at a dead-end part of town with a beautiful viewing point. A large tree sits just before the wooden fence in front of the cliff and Aryll, Paya, Purah, and Link stand with me along with several other people. Cado is holding an "Apple Shooting Contest" for each age group of people at the festival. The goal of the contest is whoever can shoot the most apples off the log in a row will win. It's kiddy, but I am up for the challenge. We watch all the little Hylian, Sheikah, Rito, Zora, Gerudo, and Goron kids take their turns shooting for prizes of honeyed candy and green and blue rupees. It's adorable to watch. All the little kids get candy for participating, and then the older kids from fifteen to eighteen are called for their turn at the event. Same is true for them as for the candy, but their first, second, and third place are rewarded with more rupees. Aryll and Paya participate in this round, and they do alright with Paya getting third place, but it's clear they don't have the training that Link obviously does.

When it comes to the adult round, both Link and I step up near the others. He's going down this time. I won't lose to him again, even in a silly contest like this one where all we are doing is shooting apples over and over. The apples that aren't completely destroyed by arrows by now are reused. The Sheikah men and women prove to be good opponents, doing as well as Link and I are capable. That's really no surprise though, as I have heard that they are excellent archers and hunters, also talented with many other skills. Link told me that one of the men of this village taught him how to shoot. I wonder as we stand there who his teacher was.

Eventually only Link and I are left to go next, and he insists that I go first. So I draw my bow and grin at Link, who gives me a smirk back before I start. We are standing fifty feet away from the tree, and the apples are set up ten at a time on a tree stump. Everyone claps and cheers as my numbers get higher and higher. It feels funny to shoot red apples, but I push that aside and end up hitting fifty-seven of them in a row before I miss. Then it's Link's turn, and he tells me after I step from behind the line drawn in the dirt, that he can do better than that. I bite my lip and raise my eyebrows. "Is that so? Prove it." I say back, challenging him with a smile on my lips.

I watch as he hits apple after apple and his numbers get higher and higher, and everyone is looking from him to me. A boy shouts out behind us not to let a girl beat him, and I roll my eyes but laugh with everyone else at the statement. Everyone counts out loud with each apple he hits. Link takes his time taking each shot, and he's up fifty-five. I am sure that he's going to pass up my number when magically, a heavy gust of wind blows on his fifty-sixth shot sending it off course past the apple and into the tree beyond instead. I see Link's shoulders slump and hear an almost inaudible low growl come from his lips that probably only I hear since I am standing next to him. Everyone walks over to me and cheers and congratulates me on winning. I doubt many others even noticed the wind was the reason his shot went off course. I feel bad about winning this way, as I'm sure he would have beat me otherwise, but Link just turns around after lowering his bow and grins at me.

"That was crappy luck." I tell him.

"Doesn't matter." He says, shrugging his shoulders. "Congrats Zel."

I'm momentarily surprised that he called me a nickname. I raise my eyebrows at him before Dorian comes over and gives me a purple rupee; Link a red and a yellow one, and a Sheikah man a red. He announces that the Apple Contest is over and thanks everyone for participating.

When Link and I walk back to the village center, there are people literally everywhere. The amount of visitors to the village has doubled, maybe even tripled. Kakariko Village looks like a completely different place with so many people crowding it. I can't even correctly judge how many people are here.

I take a look around as we walk over to the food tables, which are now filled with many dishes. I spot different kinds of fresh seafood, meat skewers, rice dishes, soups, cakes, pies, other dishes, and a wide variety of foods I don't even recognize. I overhear a couple of Sheikah girls talking about getting to try Gerudo cuisine for the first time, scooping up something that looks like a type of fruit salad onto a plate. Of course, people brought dishes from their cultures with them to share with everyone. It's then I finally notice some of the dishes have pieces of paper taped to the edge of their bowls saying what they are and from where.

I smile as I think that it is really cool, using a wooden spoon to scoop something with a label saying "From Rito Village" onto my white plate. I'm willing to try everything at least once. I pick a few more things I haven't had before, putting a tiny amount on the edges of my plate, before going for some seafood curry and a venison skewer.

After Link and I have filled our plates and gotten drinks of juice and water, we sit down in an empty area of grass nearby. I try the new things on my plate and most of them are okay, but the green and yellow stuff with rice makes me gag instantly. I choke it down and swallow some water quickly.

"That one was a bad choice. It tasted like vomit."

"I'm glad I didn't get any." Link says laughing. "Try this, it's good." He says pointing his fork at the edge of my plate, at some sort of noodles in red sauce. I do and he's right, it's delicious. I scrape the rest up and lick my fork clean.

I look around and take in the scene in front of us. Musicians play upbeat pieces at the bottom the stairs of Impa's house, right across from the pond with a small goddess statue in the center. A couple of people dance in the wide open space in front of the pond. Little Sheikah and Zora children run around laughing loudly playing tag. A little Goron stands in the middle of five Rito kids letting them touch his literal rock arms as their little faces light up in awe. In front of the inn, some Gerudo women pass around a bottle with a white label on it and laugh ridiculously loud as their cheeks shine with the blush of intoxication. I can't help but smile looking around at so many grinning and laughing faces. Everyone looks like they are having the time of their lives.

The music stops and I watch a girl with strange green hair, a really short rito girl, and someone wearing a mask put their instruments into wooden cases. I think their friend is a boy, but I can't be sure since they wear a large leaf-shaped mask over their face with the eye holes cut out. I wonder what the deal is with the odd mask. A couple of minutes later the musician trio sits ten feet from us with plates of food. Something about these three makes me curious about them, so I walk over after putting my dirty plate on table designated for dirty dishes only.

"Hey, my name is Zelda." I say with a smile. "I really enjoyed your music."

The girl with the green hair grins at me. "Thanks! My friends and I were so excited when we were told we could play here. It's such a thrill for us to perform at the famous Pumpkin Festival! My name is Saria, and this is Medli." She says gesturing to the Rito girl. "This weirdo boy with the mask is Makar."

"Do you mind if I sit?"

"Not at all." Medli says, and the other two shake their heads. I sit next to her as she takes a bite of that yellow vomit stuff I tried. I have to hide my grimace getting that awful taste in my mouth again as she scoops another spoonful in her beak. I sit down as Saria starts talking again. She tells me she plays the ocarina, Medli plays the harp, and Makar plays the violin. Together they call themselves "The Woodland Spirits," and they travel Hyrule together to share their passion for music. Medli tells me they just wrote a song that they are going to perform after they eat. Saria says she's really nervous about playing a brand new song in front of so many people. Medli puts her hand on her shoulder and tells her it will be okay, everyone will love their new piece, she just knows it.

I stand in front the trio ten minutes later as they get ready. The song immediately starts with a fast paced tempo from Saria's ocarina, accompanied wonderfully with Makar's violin, with a well fitting background melody from Medli. Saria spins and dances as she plays her ocarina. The tune is super catchy and a couple of seconds later of enjoyment, Aryll runs up to me and grabs my hands.

"Let's dance, Zelda!" She says grinning.

"Okay!" I say, even if I know I can't dance to save my life.

Aryll and I are raising our arms up and down, fingers joined and moving our hips to the quick song. I look over my shoulder every so often to see the trio smiling at each other- well the two girls as I can't see the boy's face - as they play. Makar's mask begins to slide off his head, so in a pause in her part, Saria reaches over and pulls it off. I hear a couple of girls giggle as we all get our first look at his face. I'm not too sure why he's been hiding it, as he's pretty cute and really has nothing to hide. But maybe it's not to hide at all and instead he wears it for another reason? Maybe he's just shy? I shrug to my own thoughts and keep dancing. Purah comes over pulling Paya along with her, and then we are all dancing facing each other in a circle.

"They are so good! Look at this crowd, so many people are enjoying their music!" Purah says.

She's right, many people are now dancing along. Kids, teens, and a few adults have joined in on the fun. When the song ends everyone cheers and claps and all three performers join hands and bow together, grinning ear to ear. I manage to catch their attention with a wave and give them two thumbs up. Saria gives me a thumbs up back and waves her hand toward her chest, clearly telling me to come over. I weave through the crowd that tightly surrounds them and she is literally shaking with happiness with tears in her eyes.

"Wow! You guys were truly amazing. Everyone loved it."

Saria squeaks nodding her head. "I can hardly believe that everyone started dancing!" She looks to her friends pulling them into a hug grabbing my shirt and pulling me in too. "We really moved them guys. I've never been happier." Medli nods enthusiastically as she agrees.

"Me either." Makar says, speaking for the first time since I've met him. His voice is deep and warm. I'm willing to bet he can sing, and I ask the two girls if he ever does as Saria releases us from the hug.

"Makar has a lovely voice, but he always refuses to let people hear him." Medli says, giving him a heavy look. Saria stares him down as well, triggering a reaction of a deep red blush on his cheeks.

"No way. I ain't singing in front of all these people.

From all around us people start chanting a word over and over. "Encore. Encore. Encore..."

I step closer to Makar and look in his chocolate brown eyes, and he zeros in on mine too. "You should sing for everyone, Makar." I say sweetly. He shakes his head fervently as his face flushes worse. "They already love you, and you should share that lovely voice."

"Come on, the ladies will love hearing you." Medli says. Makar shakes his head again so she sighs heavily, giving up. Saria takes the moment to steal his violin and bow from him while he's distracted.

"Hey! Give that back." He snaps.

"Not until you sing. Just one song. Then you can have your pretty violin back, kay?" She says in a sweet voice.

"Oh come on, Saria! Don't be like that." Makar's voice is as pleading as his eyes. His face clearly reads "Please don't make me do this" but Saria shakes her head looking to Medli who nods sharply. A couple of girls have overheard them talking, and they shout out loud.

"Did you say sing? I certainly wanna hear you sing!" I hear Purah's unmistakable voice shout. "The boy is gonna sing everyone!" Another girl yells. "Oooh I can't wait!" Someone squeals.

This starts another chanting party of "Sing. Sing. Sing." and Medli and Saria join in. With everyone's attention on him Makar growls and eventually says "Fine!" much louder than necessary. The village square erupts in shouts and cheering then. Everyone backs up from them and Saria whispers in each of her friend's ears and they both nod. Makar has scowl on his face. I stand back with the crowd in the front, and Link comes up to my side.

"You convinced him, didn't you?"

I don't know where he got that idea. The only thing I'm at fault about is mentioning the word "sing."

"How could I have possibly done that? It was certainly everyone else."

Link just shakes his head, and I stare at him a couple of seconds before the sound of Medli's harp fills the air. The music is so beautiful as the Rito girl closes her eyes and sways with the sound of her brown wooden harp. Saria looks to Makar and he meets her eyes right after she raises her ocarina to her lips. The melody she plays to accompany Medli's is soft, slow, and full of low notes. Makar starts to sing, and everyone in the village listens silently with all eyes on him. He stands facing Saria, and his face is bright red as his voice is shaky at first, but soon he seems to calm down and then everyone is mesmerized. The boy has a gift, the tones of his deep voice carry smoothly and clearly through the village.

When the song is over, nobody claps for several seconds. I see Makar look to the ground as his teeth bite his bottom lip, a nervous expression across his features. Then everyone remembers they are supposed to clap. The applause is quiet at first, but then everyone starts cheering and whistling so loud it's nearly deafening. The look on Makar's face drops to one of shock as his mouth hangs open. Medli and Saria both poke him in the sides as to knock him out of his disbelief, and he finally grins and bows to the crowd. His friends hug him tightly and I hear Saria exclaim a "I told you so!" through the clapping and cheering.

Link's PoV

I watch as everyone pools around the musicians near the stairs. Their performance is a lot better than I was expecting. I watch the girls dance in a circle. My eyes drift to Zelda, whose long gold ponytail bounces with her... awkward dancing. Her hips sway back and forth jerkily and it's obvious she doesn't know what do with her arms as they move up and down randomly. I haven't had the pleasure of witnessing her fail to do anything before now, and it's funny that dancing is the first thing I see as a weakness. I guess there isn't really a correct way to dance, but she looks so ridiculous. Regardless, the smile on her face is bright and makes her eyes shine, and it almost makes up for her embarrassingly terrible rhythm. I watch her dance from a distance with an amused smirk on my face till the music stops.

Zelda goes over to the musicians and gets pulled into a hug their green haired ocarina girl pulls her friends into. Next thing I know, Zelda is close to the boy of the group, and his face has gone red as a ripe tomato. I wonder what she's saying to him to make him so flustered. Considering his expression, I'm almost positive that she might be using that sweet little begging voice she used with me at Dueling Peaks Stable, and before that on Hateno Beach. Poor dude has no chance with that on top of being under her gorgeous eyes. I feel bad for him. His green haired friend, the ocarina girl, steals his violin, and then a couple of seconds later when everyone's chanting, he shouts "Fine!" Everyone watches him drag his feet, shoulders slumped in between his companions, looking for all the world to be literally anywhere else on the planet. All the girls around me squeal in excitement. I'm incredibly glad I'm not him right now. I can feel the pressure on his shoulders from the back of the crowd. Turns out the guy had nothing to look so dejected over in the first place, as he is actually very good. Everyone is silent as they listen, and I stand with my arms crossed, impressed.

After the performance, and everyone has mellowed down, Impa announces to the crowd it's time for the pumpkin smashing event. Zelda and I walk up the hill amongst the crowd to the forest. Olkin, who owns Kakariko's pumpkin patch, is never too happy about everyone ruining his prized pumpkins even if we only use the ones that have gone bad. Several of us helped carry all the pumpkins up to their designated smashing site this morning, in the middle of the woods above the village. There are only twenty-three slightly spoiled pumpkins, so it's going to be a first-come-first-serve sort of deal for the event. Five minutes later, that many pumpkins works out quite well since only nineteen people show up, including Zelda and I. There are some games also going down in the village, so the small amount of participants doesn't surprise me like it did how with how many participants there was in the apple contest. I didn't really expect many people to come do this anyway, though. Not many ever do, which I find strange since it's a lot more fun to swing an axe and destroy something than to shoot a bow.

Aryll and Purah are among our pumpkin smasher group, giving each other rival stares. I know that Aryll sucks at this, but it seems her confidence is up anyway. Purah takes the wooden axe in her hands with a mischievous grin, and I'm not surprised that she wants to go first. Every year she looks forward to this event. It's her favorite one. An older lady by the name of Mellie is the host of "Pumpkin Smashing," and in my opinion she enjoys watching us destroy Olkin's pumpkins a bit too much. I know the two are good friends, but ever since I was little she's always teased him about his pumpkin patch, and seemed a bit jealous of his crop, as it grows much nicer than her plums. Maybe this is her way of feeling better about that.

Whoever destroys their pumpkin the most in three swings will be declared the winner. I stand next to Zelda as Purah gives us a grin when Mellie tells her to go ahead. The pumpkin pretty much explodes in Purah's murderous axe swings, and I think she's put too much effort into it like every year. It's almost as if she's got a vengeance that can only be taken out effectively and completely by destroying some poor orange pumpkin. Everyone claps and she makes a bow after returning the axe to its designated stump. Aryll is next to go and she manages to split it down the center with her first swing, before stacking one half on top of the other and bringing the axe down with a grunting swing that makes guts fly to both sides. A small Zora girl takes her shot at it, and she misses the pumpkin entirely the first time, before she breaks it open the second. Two Rito girls cheer her on, and her third swing makes a good splat of pumpkin guts across the grass.

We watch two Goron guys do their worst on the pumpkins, before several Sheikah kids have their go. Zelda goes after they do and she is almost as vicious as Purah was, demolishing her poor pumpkin. I laugh at her battle cry on her first swing along with everyone else. Then it's my turn, and Zelda and Purah stand just on the other side of my pumpkin, ten feet away. I decide to attempt to show them up, pumpkin murdering skills at max. My third swing sprays pumpkin guts towards the two girls, splattering Zelda's pants with a spray of seeds and slimy gunk. She shrieks and then everyone's laughing. Purah tells her that she shouldn't have been standing so close, to which she gets the a retort of "Same could be said for you!" since they are standing shoulder to shoulder.

Mellie isn't sure who of the three of us, Zelda, Purah and I, demolished their pumpkin the best. So since there are three leftover pumpkins, we have a final round. Purah shows us both up with another violent axe murder, and Mellie raises her arm up in the air and declares her the winner.

Zelda walks over to a pile of pumpkin guts as Purah receives her prize. Curious, I watch as she kneels down for a second before standing and turning toward me. She gives me a look as she steps toward me, orange seedy pumpkin guts in her hands. She's got a mischievous glint in her viridian eyes as she walks toward me. I eye the slimy gunk in her hands and back away and she runs forward and throws it on my shirt.

"We're even, now." She says with a giggle.

"Even for an accident?" I say, raising my eyebrows and wiping it off with my hands.

"Of course."

I shake my head as we turn and walk down the village. If it had been anyone else to do that, I'd be annoyed right now. But it's Zelda, so just a glance at her small smile as we walk down the hill erases any annoyance I might have had with her. She's just so beautiful and innocent looking. I realize then that I know this will just cause me more and more trouble as time goes on, but I look forward to it.


	12. The Pumpkin Festival: Part 2

Chapter 12

The Pumpkin Festival: Part 2

Zelda's PoV

Upstairs in Paya and Aryll's bedroom, I sit still on a small chair as both girls do my hair and makeup, which I find really nice since it's been a long time since I've gotten all prettied up. Paya combs out my hair gently and weaves it in an intricate braid as Aryll covers my eyelids with earthy colors and paints my lips before adding blush to my cheeks. Both of them stand before me with smiles on their faces when they are done.

"Zelda you are seriously gorgeous, it should be illegal to be so good looking."Aryll says.

I roll my eyes. "You're exaggerating."

She shakes her head and grins. "It's true. Link's gonna die when he sees you today."

"We're not a couple, you know."

Aryll just shrugs and looks at Paya, who gives her a matching look of mischief. I stand up and dress I'm wearing ruffles against my knees. I wear the sandals that I wore yesterday when we went swimming. You're supposed to dress up for the festival but looking down at my knee length, light blue dress I feel like this is over doing it, even if it is just a casual sundress. Paya hands me a round hand mirror and I get my first look at the job they've done. My blue-green eyes stand out against my pale skin and my lips are the color of a raspberry. I smile at my reflection in the small mirror and admire Paya's job on my blonde hair that is resting over my right shoulder.

Aryll and Paya are also dressed up like I am, with Aryll in a green dress and Paya in a white and blue one. While I wait for them to finish getting ready, I ask a question that's been in the back of mind all day.

"How old are you guys?" I was going to ask how old Link is, but I change my mind mid-sentence. I have the feeling of embarrassment for some odd reason when I talk to his family about him. At this moment, I just feel it better to avoid what I really want to know.

"We're both eighteen." Paya answers.

"Why?" Aryll asks.

"I just wondered." Is all I say. An odd feeling of relief fills me at this information. If Aryll is eighteen, that means Link is twenty, making him older than me by a year. I feel better knowing he is older than I am. I know I said it didn't matter to me before, but that was a lie. It has actually been weighing on my mind heavily since Purah arrived this morning. I can't believe I decided to join him traveling the country without even knowing how old he is.

The three of us walk downstairs and meet Impa, who is wearing a red blouse and black pants. The four of us walk outside and down the stairs, and the girls walk off to their own thing while their mom goes over to a group of other adults.

The sun is setting above us and the sky is a display of red and orange, with blue above it, giving the illusion that the sky is on fire along the line of the mountains above the village. I hear music being played, but when I look over by the stairs, it's someone else instead of Saria and her friends, The Woodland Spirits. The three of them deserve a break, they entertained the village for a while after Makar's singing encore. They were still performing when we came down from the Pumpkin Smashing event. Now, a Rito man stands there with an accordion, and his music is really lovely. The Rito kids I saw earlier all sit in front of him singing along with his song.

The atmosphere of the festival has died down, and most people are sitting in the grass or standing in groups. Paya has joined a tall Sheikah boy by the clothing shop and is looking up at him with a shy smile as he talks. I assume he is her boyfriend. I notice Aryll over by the inn, hugging a man who is standing next to Impa. She says something to the man in front of her, then walks over to me. Aryll shares those striking eyes of Link's, making her flawless face beautiful, but I have to say that his are bit more intense than hers.

"Where did my brother go?"

I look through the crowd around us and up the road past the clothing shop, and don't see Link anywhere. He seemed so excited about this festival last night and he looked it forward to it all afternoon, but yet he is no where to be found. I shrug in answer to her question.

"Well, forget him for now. I want you to meet someone."

Aryll leads me over to the man I saw her hugging a minute earlier and introduces us with a smile. I learn that his name is Cado, and he is Paya and Purah's dad. I shake his hand as we meet, and he has a strong warm voice. Standing next to Cado is a short, which is strange as all the Sheikah appear to be tall, man with small round glasses and a balding patch on top of his head. His name is Robbie and he is their uncle. Robbie gives me a crooked smile and holds his hand out to me.

"So you're the girl Link brought home. Impa has been talking about you. It's nice to meet you, Miss Zelda."

"Likewise, Mr. Robbie." I say, taking his hand which he shakes strongly, picking up his use of a formal title.

He laughs a loud jovial laugh. "Call me Rob."

"As long as you call me Zelda." I say smiling.

The three adults jump back into their previous conversation so Aryll brings me over to the pond. The older lady we met in the Produce shop a couple of days ago is putting tiny candles in miniature wooden boats on a red blanket. She looks up at us and smiles softly.

"Hello girls."

"Hey Trissa. How come the kids aren't helping you do that?" Aryll greets her and asks.

"The little brats ran off, and an old lady like me wasn't about to chase them. But I don't mind too much, it's good for the children of this village to interact with kids of Hyrule's other races. This is the only day a year they get to see them."

"Very true. You elders are always going off about the "future generations of Hyrule," and on and on..."

"It's important, young lady! One day, you guys will be the leaders in this world. "

I ask what the boats and candles are for and Trissa explains they are for tradition. At the end of the pumpkin festival everyone here will take a boat and light one of the tiny white candles, and then we will set them a sail in the pond and wish for good fortune and good omens.

"We Sheikah pray for the Goddess Hylia to help our village prosper and continue to give us good crops and good health. For generations we have held this festival every year, even long before my great-great grandmother was a little girl. But the festival isn't only for the prosperity of Kakariko Village, nowadays the pumpkin festival is more about the unification of Hyrule's races."

I remember Impa telling me the same thing, and I think it's a nice idea. As I stand there talking to Trissa, Aryll slips off somewhere into the crowd.

I walk around and meet some new people. I talk to some Rito girls before I meet a Gerudo girl named Makeela. I've always been interested in Gerudo culture, as I have heard so much about the all-female race, but I have no solid answers. I have so many questions to ask her and Makeela laughs lightheartedly and eagerly answers. Right away we are engaged in a heavy conversation about desert life. I ask her what it is like living in Gerudo Town with only women, as that has to be quite the different lifestyle and experience. Makeela tells me that it's quite peaceful, the rules of the Gerudo are very strict, so conflict is not so much an issue. Crime is something punishable by means that she won't even speak of.

"So you live a very restricted lifestyle, then?" I ask.

"Hmm…I don't think it's restricting, but it is all I have ever known. Our ways might sound strange to outsiders, but it has been this way for generations for us Gerudo. This is my first time traveling away from home. I was so scared and nervous to come here, but my mother said it was very important for me to put myself out into the world."

"Why are you so afraid?"

"Well, because like I just said, I have never left the Gerudo region. But also because..." Makeela pauses and a red blush covers her dark tan cheeks. "Because I have never talked to a voe, or a man in your language. I've never actually met one since men are not allowed into Gerudo Town. Growing up, my mom always told me to stay away from them if I met one while sand-seal surfing outside the walls. I'm seventeen now and she encourages me to speak to them, but I'm too afraid to even approach voe."

I'm curious about what she means by sand-seal surfing, but I push the urge to ask away. I'm more interested in the fact she has no experience with guys.

"Wow. Being here must be quite the overwhelming experience for you." I say, gesturing with my hand to the several men scattered around Kakariko Village, all of different races.

"Yes. Very...very much so. I've been keeping to myself ever since my mother and I arrived here around lunch time. I'm glad that I have her and the other ladies we traveled here with, but no other girls my age came with us."

We sit in the grass chatting, and I learn a lot more about Gerudo culture. I tell Makeela all she wants to know about the world outside the desert. The whole time she listens intently, sitting on her knees with wide eyes. Soon it starts to get dark outside and the stars come out. The music nearby changes to a slower, waltz like melody, that I sway to and enjoy very much. Soon, a Sheikah boy comes and asks Makeela to dance. She looks to me with frightened eyes, and I give her a nod of encouragement with a soft smile. "It's okay." I whisper. Makeela looks to the ground, but after a couple seconds her face changes into a forced-looking smile, and she stands up to accept his offer. Her voice is so quiet that I wonder if the boy hears her as she takes his awaiting hand and he leads her away.

I notice that more and more people are dancing now and I stand up and brush the grass off my sundress. Like Makeela and the Sheikah boy, whom I remember meeting earlier but fail to recall his name, many of the couples dancing are interracial. I see a tall Zora man dancing with a Gerudo woman, and even as tall as he is she still towers over him. The Goron boy I saw earlier is dancing with one of the little Rito girls. I spot Paya and her boyfriend again, and then see Aryll dancing with a Rito boy. I suddenly feel quite alone as I stand to the side of the grass dance floor where everyone else is dancing. I am just standing here alone, and I feel sad that nobody asked me to dance. I notice that someone else is missing from the village: Link. I realize I haven't seen him since I went back to the house with Aryll, Purah and Paya.

I wander over to the pond and stand next to the blanket with at least fifty little wooden boats with their white tea candles. I stare into the water and see the colorful reflection of the paper lanterns hanging above it. I look to the sky and see the millions of stars above us, and I wonder what my family is doing right now. Being around Link and his family has made me happy and all, but in a way, spending time with them has also made me sad. I miss my sister and parents, I wish that they could be here enjoying the festival as well.

"Hey Zelda."

I smile involuntarily at the deep familiar voice, and turn slowly to see Link standing there. He is dressed in a black button-up shirt and dark brown pants, and his hair is combed neater than usual.

"Hey, Link. Where have you been hiding?"

"I haven't been hiding, I've been around. Dance with me?" He asks, taking my hand.

Dance. I feel my body freeze and tense up. The last time I danced with a guy was at least two years ago at home in Lurelin, during my mom's friend's wedding.

"N-no I can't dance." I stutter, and his expression changes and his lips quiver like he's holding back a laugh. But he doesn't laugh, and his voice is even when he speaks next.

"It's okay. I can."

Link says giving me a smile. I swallow and let him lead me over to where everyone else is dancing. He raises my hands to his shoulders before putting his hands on my hips. His hands are warm and I feel that heat rise up my sides. My mind goes into panic mode and my cheeks start burning brightly. I bite the inside of my cheek as I feel ridiculously embarrassed. This has never happened when I've danced with any other guy. I make myself look into Link's eyes as we move our feet slowly and sway in time with the music. I end up stepping on his foot a couple of times and apologize quickly while feeling horribly annoyed with myself. Link says that it is okay and just to relax, so I try my best and just gaze into his beautiful, sky blue eyes that the low light of lanterns is shining in. I breathe slowly as I try to act normal as we dance, and eventually I am able to settle down.

I feel a small smile playing on my lips as we move slowly to the music. A warm and content feeling begins to flow into my body as I dance with Link, and I lean closer and I feel his right hand move to the center of my lower back, holding me in place gently. I keep gazing into his eyes and get lost in the blue of them, but that doesn't seem to matter as Link looks into mine. He's so handsome. My stomach is fluttering, and my heart is racing as he looks down at me with a soft smile across his lips. I know I could certainly look at him forever like this. My cheeks feel warm, and I hope that if I am still blushing, it isn't too bad. My heart is racing in delight and nervousness as we dance slowly. The sublime sounds of cello, harp, violin, and someone's crystalline voice adds the magical moment I feel entranced inside.

The music stops playing and we stop dancing. But we stand there close to each other for several seconds before he gives me that smile that caught me the first I ever saw him, and I feel my heart flutter in my chest in the same way. We slowly part from each other and I feel as his hands leave my hip and back, and I feel cold in both places as Link steps back. A man starts talking next to the pond and I notice everyone else has turned and is giving him their attention as well. I put my hands together as I try to listen.

"Hello everyone, my name is Dorian. Every year in the late evening of Kakariko's Village's Pumpkin Festival, we Sheikah uphold a very old tradition that we ask our guests of neighboring and far away regions to join us in."

Dorian pauses and kneels down to grab one of the wooden boats with a candle, and a little Sheikah girl walks up to him with tiny lit torch. We all watch as she lights the long wicked candle before Dorian smiles and says a quiet "Thank you, Koko," kissing his daughter's forehead before standing and giving his audience his attention once again.

"We ask that each of you light a candle boat like this one and join us in the ceremony of wishes and heartfelt hopes, that we, as many different types of people, can always live peacefully together as allies and friends. It is of course optional that you take part in our ceremony, but we would very much like if each of you would end the celebration of the Pumpkin Festival with us."

Everyone claps after Dorian helps Koko and her little sister Cottla, light their candle boats and, together, the three of them set them down in the water. Several people slowly make their way over next to the three and pick up a little wooden boat before Koko offers to light their candles for them adding "Don't forget to make a wish too!" I think the little Sheikah sisters are adorable. I met them this morning when we were hanging the paper lanterns all over the village. I was proudly informed by Cottla that she and her big sister spent the last week making as many of the lanterns as they could with their dad every afternoon. I told both girls that they did an amazing job and they hugged me. Then Koko told me something that made my cheeks go bright red, making both her and her sister giggle.

"You're so pretty. Link is lucky to have you."

I smile back on the statement even though I am a bit embarrassed. Am I really that transparent? Or maybe I'm overthinking things, and they're just saying that because they haven't seen Link with anyone else in a while, as Aryll told me while we were swimming yesterday. Either way, I shake my head slowly closing my eyes as I feel feel my lips raising in another happy smile. Link says my name as I stand there watching Koko light candle after candle for everyone, and I look over to him.

"Do you want to light a boat?"

"Sure."

We wait our turn patiently and Koko grins from ear to ear when she sees me stop in front of her.

"Zelda! I knew you would come and participate! And Linky too!" She says jumping up and down with her candle-lighting torch. Dorian scolds her briefly to be careful before she burns herself or anyone else. Koko turns and sticks her little tongue out at her dad before cowering down when he gives her a stern look. I laugh quietly as Cottla pokes her sister in the side with a quiet "Yeah, big sis, be careful please." The little moment reminds me of myself and Tetra when we were little.

I kneel down with a candle boat in my hand as Link does the same, and Koko lights them for us. Together, we gently set our boats down and give them a small push across the glistening water. There are at least twenty-five little boats floating in the water now and they make a beautiful addition to the already beautiful, tranquil pond. Large torches light up the entire area so we can still see the colors of the lanterns in the water. Link and I step away so that Makeela and the boy who asked her to dance can have a turn. I notice that they are holding hands. Afterwards, she smiles at me before turning and walking off with her new friend. I look back to Link and see that he's looking into the candle lit pond in front of us. The flames of the nearest torch dance in his eyes.

Link's PoV

I climb the hill that gives a clear view of the village below. I can hear music being played even up here, as well as the loud chattering of several voices. The sky is a painting of colors as the sun sets and I take my time looking past the mountains far into the distance. I haven't really seen anyone in Kakariko much since I left three years ago, and I've fallen out of contact with them. Some people, it's quite awkward to be around them, and others I just don't know what to say. I'm also sitting up here because I'm really not a fan of large crowds. Don't get me wrong, the Pumpkin Festival can be a lot of fun and I have enjoyed myself today, but when you've done everything so many times it's nothing really special.

The stars have come out by the time I make my way back into the village. The walk down isn't long by any means, but I take my time. Most people are dancing when I get down there. I look around for Zelda and am unable to find her for several moments in the torch and lantern lit village. I finally spot her standing on the wooden platform of the village pond, but I'm unsure it's actually her for a minute. Her hair is twisted in a complex braid and she's standing with her back to me. I say her name and she turns around and I'm speechless for many seconds as my eyes fall upon her.

Zelda wears a knee-length, light blue dress with thick straps over her shoulders. A small gold chain with a tiny gold Triforce charm hangs from her neck. I recognize the dress as one that Aryll used to wear, but when Zelda wears it, it looks a lot better on her. Her golden-blonde hair rests over her right shoulder with a couple of little white flowers stuck into the messy braid. Her long legs are bare and her feet are in sandals instead of boots. She really is the most beautiful woman I've ever met.

I swallow quietly to clear my dry throat, and make myself step forward to take her hand. I ask her to dance with me and a look of panic flashes across her lightly makeup-ed face. She makes up the excuse of not being able to dance, and I have to hold back my laugh because I learned that earlier, whether she knows it not. Zelda looks cute as her eyes dart around in the dark shyly. I lead her over to an empty section of grass and try to calm my nerves and still my hands as I take hers and place them on my shoulders and put my hands into place on her hips. Zelda looks anywhere but me at first, but she eventually meets my eyes, looking up as I am a few inches taller than she is. We dance slowly to the music as her left foot smashes my toes in my right a couple of times and she apologizes. I assure her it's fine.

My heart threatens to leap out of my chest when she moves closer to me and I hesitantly move my right hand to the small of her back, hoping that I won't get some sort of bad reaction from her. But she just smiles up at me as her chest presses against mine. I can't even think as I look into her viridian eyes. The way she's looking at me...how close she is...I almost feel as if I'm inside some sort of incredible daydream. It just doesn't feel...real. I give her a smile just as the music stops.

I hear Dorian's voice, and we don't look away from each other for a couple of seconds. I let her go and she steps away from me slowly, turning to listen to this year's "Traditional Pumpkin Festival Ceremony" speech. I like the way Dorian gets right to the point and doesn't make a big deal over the uniting of the races like Cado, Impa's husband, normally does.

We add our boats to the pond and I don't wish for anything super particular, just the well being of my family, adoptive and not. I see Zelda smile at a Gerudo girl after she adds her own boat to the pond with one of my childhood friends. I haven't talked to him in a really long time, and watching him walk away hand in hand with the abnormally short Gerudo girl, I sort of feel bad that we've fallen apart as friends through the years. I shake that minor guilt off as I look back to the sparkling pond decorated by floating candles.

I don't know how long it takes me to notice that Zelda is looking at me, but when I look over she looks away quickly.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I ask her.

"Sure."

Above the village, we walk through the dark woods with only the moonlight filtering through above tree branches. Zelda grabs my hand as, slowly, we make our way past trees and I notice that her eyes are wide and her shoulders are stiff and tense as if her every sense is on alert. I feel her fingers tighten around mine at the sound of a bush rustling nearby.

"The only animals in these woods are squirrels and the occasional owl, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"It's not the animals that worry me as much as the dark. I never travel after sunset because I don't like traveling when I can't see well. I'm afraid of the dark, and I am not embarrassed to admit it." She says looking straight ahead with her chin pointed up slightly, tone matter-of-fact.

We walk slowly through the forest until I see something glowing behind a tree trunk. I whisper to Zelda quickly to stop and be as quiet as she can. Her moonlit expression shows one of pure panic before I squeeze her hand and give her a reassuring smile I'm not sure she can see. I reach my arm out in front of us and point to the faint blue glow behind the tree straight ahead of us. A couple of seconds later a small light blue rabbit spirit hops out from behind the tree and I hear Zelda suck in a breath of air.

"Whoa. What is that?" Zelda whispers so quietly. I lean close to her ear and whisper back.

"A rabbit spirit called a blurpee."

We watch silently without moving a muscle as the tiny spirit hops a few feet before stopping and scratching a glowing blue ear. Zelda squeezes my hand and I glance at her a second to see her grinning widely, before looking back to the spirit. We are able to watch it for several more seconds before the blurpee finally turns its head our way. Its little white eyes stare at us in shock for a moment before it scampers off quickly and vanishes from the air in a small cloud of shimmery blue.

"I've heard there's a lot more of them gathered on a mountain peak somewhere in Hyrule along with a legendary beast of the same glowing blue light. I'd believe it was just a myth if these little guys didn't appear around here every so often."

"I've never seen one before. You see them all the time?" She asks with curiosity filling her features.

"I don't see them often, but I did see at least one or two a year growing up here in Kakariko. They are pretty rare, so we just got really lucky to see one."

I lead her through the trees and the darkness is lit up green with the light of forest fireflies. Zelda lets go of my hand and walks slowly towards them, holding her arms out to her sides. A couple of fireflies land on her and she giggles, smiling at the little bugs.

"I've always loved these little guys. Tetra and I used to sneak out at night when we were little just to go up the hill above Lurelin to see them. They're everywhere, but I always relapse into a little kid when I come across them."

I laugh. "That's okay, I used to do the same thing when I couldn't sleep. Impa would always catch me coming back to the house though. But no matter how many times she yelled, I'd always sneak out again."

We continue walking through the forest, which is lit up with the light of a full moon, until we see the large round spring up ahead. I've been told that it used to be where a "Great Fairy" resided a very, very long time ago, but nowadays it's just a hot spring that the residents of Kakariko visit year round. As we get closer, the light from it gets brighter and more fireflies surround us. We stand in front of it and Zelda admires the water with her jaw dropped at the glowing water of the hot spring. Yes, it does literally glow, although nobody knows the true answer as to why.

"How is this possible? Are there lights in there somehow?" Zelda asks.

"Nope, there are no lights. Nobody really knows why it glows, there's nothing special about the water except for that it is warm, like hot springs are."

"This is probably the coolest thing I've ever seen."

"There's actually a theory about this glowing spring. Supposedly, there was a "Great Fairy" that used to reside here thousands of years ago."

"That sounds like a myth. Just like the "Great Calamity" that Hyrule shows no trace of.

"There's proof if you know where to look for it."

"Yeah?"

"Well, the Sheikah themselves are connected to the Calamity. They love to tell the stories of their ancestors who lived during that time. The people who helped the hero and princess that defeated and sealed away the beast that may have destroyed the whole world. It sounds unbelievable, sure, but I don't think the wise old people of Kakariko made those stories up."

"Alright, I guess that's logical. But it still sounds like a fairy tale. You said it's been thousands of years. Verbal tales change from person to person, meaning they must have changed a lot from what actually happened that long ago. I don't mean to stomp on your pride or anything here, but how do we know those tales are accurate?"

"Good question, and trust me, I've thought about that a lot. It's obvious we can't know that for sure, but I grew up on hearing the stories of the Calamity living in Kakariko Village. I still like to entertain the idea they could be true."

I sit down on the edge of the spring, removing my socks and shoes. I roll up my pants up to my knees before I put my feet in the spring. Zelda sits next to me after she takes off her sandals.

"There are places in Hyrule that still show signs of destruction, you just have to know where to look."

"Well, you'll have to show me. I'm not convinced."

"I'll be sure to take you to a couple of those places. If I figure out where they are."

Zelda laughs. "So you don't have any solid proof after all, then?"

"Maybe not, but don't you think it would be fun to find out?"

"I suppose. But where would those places be?"

I shrug.

"You just spark inspiration." She says sarcastically. "Will you tell me a couple of those stories you mentioned?"

So as we sit on the edge of the hot spring, feet dangling in the warm water, and I recall a couple of my favorite tales. I can't tell them like the elderly Sheikah, or even Impa, would, but I bring up the most important parts in detail. Zelda listens patiently, hanging onto my every word. By the time I'm through story-telling she still looks skeptical, not that I can blame her. Who knows what's true and what's not like she said. She wants to know more about the Great Fairy I mentioned but, unfortunately, I don't know much about that beside what I already said. We sit under the moonlight and she gives me her thoughts. We laugh into the late hours of the night discussing our theories of how a regular Hylian man would or could have saved the world from destruction, ranging from ridiculous to practical.

Back down in the village, there's people laying down in sleeping bags or on blankets all over the grass. The lanterns are still lit and the place is filled with a few quiet conversations. Zelda and I walk up the stairs of Impa's home and go in, being careful to be quiet as my family is probably asleep by now since it's nearly midnight. We walk up the stairs as silently as possible and stand outside the bedroom doors at the top.

"Good night." I whisper.

Zelda steps over and hugs me, and I hug her back, surprised, my face suddenly feeling warm. "Good night, Link." She whispers back in my right ear before letting go.

I watch her slide open the door to Aryll and Paya's room. She turns and smiles at me before she shuts it. A couple of seconds later, I hear a voice inside and then a laugh before I walk into my own room.


	13. Mark of Shame

Chapter 13

Mark of Shame

Zelda's PoV

Link blushed after I hugged him. An actual pink-cheeked, shy expression, blush. I can't help but smile at him as I shut the girls' bedroom door. I still have that smile on my face as I turn around to see Aryll sitting up in bed and looking right at me. It's simply one word to be smiling like that in front of his sister after sneaking up the stairs: mortifying. She teases me, and my face goes so hot I can hardly breathe. I'm glad it's dark so she can't see how embarrassed I am. "Shut up." I hiss at her, and she laughs before laying back down on her bed.

The Pumpkin Festival turned out to be a lot more than I had imagined it'd be, not that I really knew what to expect. I lay in my sleeping bag wearing some borrowed pajama shorts and a t-shirt. My thoughts keep replaying this afternoon in my head, mostly to the dance Link and I shared. I can't stop thinking of how it felt to be that close to him; what it was like to have his eyes looking down into mine, the feeling of his hands on my left hip and back as we slowly swayed to the music. Then, my thoughts go to our moonlit walk through the forest, to an unbelievable glowing hot spring with crystal clear water, except for the natural bubbling and steam across the top. The whole evening seemed perfect. The walk in the woods seemed a bit planned to me, except for the part with the cute little magical rabbit spirit. Who knew creatures like that existed?! But I am probably overthinking everything and it wasn't like that at all. Regardless, the whole evening was like a dream. I feel so happy as I hold back the urge to giggle like a little schoolgirl laying there, the other two girls most likely asleep. I stare up at the dark ceiling for a while, which is just barely visible from the moonlight coming into the small window on the wall to my left, trying to quell down the feeling inside my chest down. It's nearly impossible to clear my head enough to fall asleep.

I wake up to Paya shaking me gently, telling me I have to get up. I rub my eyes and crawl out of my sleeping bag then, lazily, fold it up, sliding it to the side of the room. I yawn feeling a lot more tired than I think I should as I did sleep pretty well when I passed out. I even dreamed, but I can't remember much about it.

After breakfast, we all go outside and clean up the village together. It's really not too bad for the amount of people who were here. Most of the visitors have left already, making their way home or to wherever they may be going. We throw all the trash into buckets and make trips dumping it into a huge fire pit outside of the village, where it will be burned later. After that, we clean up the area outside Trissa's shop, which has dirty plates strewn everywhere. Aryll and Paya get chosen to wash dishes with two other girls, to their dismay. Neither of them look happy whatsoever; not that I'd be either, honestly.

Link and I clean up the pond, fishing the wooden boats and tea candles out of the water. At first we use a long stick with a net attached to it to gather them, which doesn't really work too well. After only a couple of minutes, Link just jumps into the water to retrieve them, green shirt, tan shorts and all, only stopping to remove his shoes. He swims around and grabs them a few at a time, and hands them to me where I stand on the wooden dock-style platform in front of the little goddess statue. I put the boats in a wooden crate, and the candles in a bucket. While he goes back to the house for dry clothes, I walk around looking for something else to help with. Impa says there's not much else to do and I'm free to do what I want.

I look to the borrowed clothes I'm wearing and think: I have a pair of shorts and some shirts in one of my saddlebags in the stables with my horse, but they are really old and I should really replace them. A couple of my shirts have grown a hole or two from being worn and washed so much. I decide then I'm going to go shopping because, well, I have the money to do so. I haven't gotten myself anything besides Starlett's new saddle in a long time. I go up to Paya and Aryll's room in the house to find Link's already come and gone. I grab my wallet from my little backpack that's filled with my most important belongings and stuff it in the back pocket of the shorts I'm wearing before heading to the clothing shop.

Once inside, a girl with her white hair in a bun greets me good morning and introduces herself as Claree. I remember her name then from when when Link and I first arrived in Kakariko. Impa had said Aryll was helping her out. Claree asks if she can help me find anything, and I smile and tell her what I'm looking for. I pick out two shirts, two tank tops, and two pairs of shorts, plus a pair of sandals. Claree recommends I pick out a swimsuit as well since it's summer and it's only going to get hotter outside, so I do. She lets me try on the clothes in the back room of her shop. I pay her and Claree gives me a discounted deal on her merchandise since I'm buying so much. She tells me if I need anything else to just stop by. I thank her with a big smile and tell her that I will. I go back to Impa's house and change my clothes, putting Aryll's into a basket filled with dirty clothes. I put my now much emptier wallet into the pocket of my brand new shorts. I haven't worn new clothes in so long I've forgotten how it feels. I smile to myself as I walk back downstairs, in a really good mood.

Back outside I wander around the village. It's really the first time I've gotten a good look at everything that's not down near Impa's house. I pass by the cuccos in their coop and one of them crows at me, so I mimic it and laugh before I continue on. Olkin and Mellie are in their gardens, and they both say good morning to me with warm smiles. I keep walking and find that there is also a carrot garden in this village. I meet the farmer who's tending to them, whose name is Steen. He offers me a free carrot for my horse, and I buy three more from him and he wishes me a wonderful day.

I head up to the horse stables and meet the man who has been taking care of my horse for me. His name is Joel, and he says that he just fed and groomed her. I thank him as I walk inside Starlett's stall. I haven't really spent so much time like this away from my horse in...ever actually, now I think about it. I've been by Starlett's side every single day since I tamed her and left Lurelin to travel a year later. She is my responsibility after all. But I haven't seen her in almost two days and I feel bad that I have neglected her so. I've just had so many other things on my mind, having fun with Link's sisters and the whole festival, that I forgot I had a responsibility here with my horse. Not that that is any excuse at all. I feel so bad.

"Hey sweetheart. I'm so sorry that I left you up here for so long. Will you forgive me?" I say as I set two of the four carrots I have down with my stuff and feed her the remaining. Starlett rubs her head against my arm as I rub her neck, and I take that as a forgiving gesture.

Maybe five minutes later, Link comes in greeting Joel and walks over to Epona. I wonder if he has been with her more than I have with Starlett. I tell him that I feel like a horrible horse owner and he laughs, answering my silent question with the fact he hasn't tended to his own horse in just as long.

"We're both awful, then." I say, laughing.

"Don't worry it too much you two. I've had your back. But, I would like some sort of thank you here." Joel says, walking up behind us.

I turn around and thank him from the bottom of my heart, and Link gives him his gratitude too.

I walk along the Lanayru Promenade with Link by my side an hour later. He asked if I had ever seen it, and since I hadn't he told me that I needed to. I climb up on the raised rail on the edge and balance with my arms out at my sides as I walk. I'm careful not to stumble as I look up and study the enormous columns that are rising up and out of the water, covered by ivy and moss. Arched stone reaches out of the top of those columns and the matching wall on the left side of the walkway, and also across the slowly flowing river to the right, just below us. I look all around us as we continue walking, wondering how such a place was even constructed, and whether it was people who did indeed build it at all. The columns and the promenade may be beautiful, but it's clear that they are ancient and certainly were not built in this era. Perhaps they were here before the Calamity that history tells us happened, or even thousands of years before that?

We come up an area that expands so the river is much wider here, and the water comes up and over the promenade ledge, flooding it at least a couple inches. The mountain walls are covered in stone here on both sides with outcroppings and ledges everywhere. It's broken and crumbling in couple of spots but it's still amazing to look at. Across the river - well, I realize it's a lake now - is a huge waterfall back between two mountains. I stop and admire the view as I stand on the ledge unable to stop smiling, letting the power of nature's beauty take over me again, like always. But I have to say, even as beautiful as it is here, this area has nothing on Floria Falls in Faron. I wonder if I will ever see a sight more incredible than that one.

Link's PoV

Walking along Zelda is -or technically below her, since she's balancing on the safety ledge of the Lanayru Promenade - is distracting to say the least. The shorts she is wearing don't offer much coverage, and the tank top she wears is thinly strapped and shows off her shoulders. I can even see some of her cleavage as her top is cut low as well, and it shows a bit of her mid-drift as it a little short for her torso. On top of being Hyrule's most beautiful woman, she's got an incredible body with her long legs, curvy hips, flat belly, and, well, basically everything else. To put it simply: she's very attractive. It was easier to ignore such facts yesterday and this morning, when she was wearing a t-shirt and regular length shorts. Not that I'm really complaining or anything...she's just showing a ton of skin. I try not to stare at her, I really do. It's just...difficult.

Luckily, Zelda doesn't appear to notice at all since she is too distracted by everything else around us. Lanayru Promenade is famous for its peaceful scenery, crystal clear lake, and unique architecture. This is easily my favorite place in this region. I'm glad when Zelda hops down off the ledge and walks side by side with me, as much as I've been enjoying the view. We continue walking and go up a set of stairs to a bridge that leads across the river on the upper section of the promenade. Neither of us say anything as we walk side by side, which is fine, as it doesn't feel awkward to just be next to her. Zelda is the one to break the silence between us when we come up right next to the amazing waterfall ahead of us.

"Ooh a cave!" She says excitedly, jogging over to the entrance. I've always thought that this cave was far too round to be naturally formed and it must be man made, but who knows. Zelda waits for me and then we walk inside the dark cave where almost all light is cut off. She walks a little bit behind me as we go inside, keeping close, and I assume she's afraid, recalling our conversation in the woods last night. The cave leads to a cavern right behind the waterfall, which is lit up with many rocks that glow in the dark. They line up the whole backside of the cavern along the ground. Zelda walks quickly over to a stone deposit before bending over to get a better look. She reaches out to touch it, running her fingers across its smooth surface. I walk up behind her, keeping my eyes away from where they shouldn't be. I swear, she's giving me every opportunity to check her out.

"I've never seen rocks like this before. What are they?"

"Luminous stone. You can actually find it all over Hyrule if you look hard enough. Funny thing about this stone though, it only glows in the dark. In the sunlight, it looks just like any other rock."

"Really?" She says turning and looking at me incredulously. "So it could literally be anywhere?"

I nod. "It's rather easy to mine, which makes me personally curious as to why more people don't use it for jewelry or such."

"Maybe they don't know it exists? Like me."

"I doubt that. But I guess it's possible."

Impa, Cado, Purah, Aryll, Paya, Zelda, and I all sit crowded around the four person table in the kitchen for dinner. The tiny table can hardly accommodate seven people plus all the food in the middle. I don't know why Impa hasn't had someone make her a bigger table. Up until a couple years ago, there were six people living in this house, and of course it was always just as crowded during meals like right now. I've been home many times since I left three years ago. But sitting at the table with everyone, Purah and Cado included, is a wonderful feeling, since Purah lives now in Hateno and Cado is always away, in Akkala. It reminds me of when I was little, running around here with my sister when the whole adoptive family thing was new. I've never seen Cado as my dad, but I get along with him. The same can't be said for younger me, however.

I'd always loved Impa, as she was my mom's best friend, who clearly loved us very much. But I had a newfound hatred toward Cado when my dad died. A hatred that burned with such a fury that I couldn't even look at him, even if he wasn't that bad. I often overheard Impa talking with him in their room at night, door cracked open, telling him to give us time. Cado always spoke about Aryll and I warmly, having some sort of affection toward us, which increasingly made it harder for me to hate him. Even with all that, I thought all the time in the world wouldn't change a thing. I remember shouting at him saying one day saying he wasn't my dad, and that meant he couldn't tell me what to do. Cado got on his knees then, eye level with me at the time, and explained he knew he could never replace such an amazing man. He told me he only cared and wanted the best for me and for Aryll. From then on I tried to give him a chance. A year after my dad passed, Cado asked if I'd like to continue learning archery like my dad had begun to teach me. I reluctantly said yes. He taught me how to wield a sword as well, along with a couple of other weapons, and I actually got to know him. Gradually my hate for him melted down completely to a respect I never thought I'd have.

Cado asks me what I've been up to lately. I tell him I just came from Hateno Village, where I met Zelda. But I don't get to continue talking before Purah interrupts suddenly and takes up the opportunity to gush all about us, to my annoyance. She brings up details that I didn't even know she had. She even brings up our riding horses on the beach and laying under the stars the night I asked Zelda to join me on the road. But, I shouldn't be surprised. Purah has always been excellent at sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.

I honestly really hate that about her.

"...Zelda came up to me that night, and she asked me if Link would be a good traveling companion. It was so adorable that she came to me for advice! These two are incredibly sweet together."

Zelda coughs on her water as Purah says those last couple of sentences. I look over to see her staring at her plate with her face rising in shade of pink, and am unable to tell if it's from catching her breath from choking or if she's actually blushing.

While we are on the topic of "love," Purah asks her mom how she and Cado met and even I am interested in this story. I don't think any of us expect Impa to actually tell us, so when she opens up everyone listens quietly.

"We both grew up here in Kakariko village. My father taught us both weapon wielding and for years I thought Cado was insolent as he didn't learn as quickly as I did. But Cado always had a thing for me and he didn't bother hiding it. He'd do little things for me, bring me presents, or ask me out no matter how often I turned him down. I thought that he wasn't worth my time."

Impa looks at Cado, apologetically, and he returns her expression with a smile that says if there had been any resentment, it was long forgiven. She continues, after clearing her throat.

"I was down in Bubinga forest one day. It was afternoon and the sun hadn't even started to set when I heard the howling of a wolf, so I started to head back home. I was half way through the forest when a big gray wolf jumped from behind a bush ahead of me. I was shocked, as I'd never seen one during this time of day. The wild beast made its way toward me and I prepared myself for a fight; the spear I carried on my back at the ready. Then two more wolves walked out of the brush next to their leader, all a snarling of teeth and claws, poised in position to attack. The first ran at me and I stabbed my spear into its chest as it jumped at me, effectively killing it. I yanked my spear free as the second wolf rushed me and I swung my weapon at it, dodging out of the way. As I dodged that wolf, the third one came at me and I held my spear in front of me as it tackled me to the ground, teeth inches from my throat as I held it back with my weapon in its jaws. I screamed as my spear began to crack and break, and I knew that it wasn't going to work as a barrier for much longer. I tried kicking the wolf off me to no avail. I'd never been so afraid in my life. I was sure that even if that wolf didn't kill me the second my wooden spear gave way, its partner would certainly end me within seconds. I screamed again and again, hoping that someone was nearby with the last of my might. I didn't want to die. Just as my spear finally snapped in the wolf's jaws I let out one more scream as a good bye to the beautiful world."

Impa pauses, leaving everyone staring at her anxiously, and takes a deep breath putting her hand over her heart and closing her eyes. I suspect as she recalls the memory she's seeing it play out vividly in her mind. Cado puts his hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture and she continues.

"Then it happened. An arrow split through the wolf's head, then through its neck, and finally a third pierced its chest. The wolf howled in pain before collapsing on top of me heavily. I froze under the dead animal in shock. I heard the high pitched cry of the other wolf before hearing it's body thud onto the ground close by. A second later I saw someone's hands grabbing the wolf and lifting it off of me, then a face of wide eyed as a man dropped to his knees beside me asking if I was okay. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it was Cado. I sat up slowly as the shock of almost being killed mixed with the last person I expected to see before me. It was horrifyingly embarrassing to have to be saved like that, but I threw my arms around him and thanked him deeply."

Cado takes her other hand, which is sitting on the table, as she finishes her tale. "I thought that I was going to be too late when I saw her on the ground, that beast snapping at her. Thank Hylia I made it in time." He says.

"Yes. Thank Hylia." Impa says, giving her husband a loving look that I rarely ever got to see when I lived here.

"Wow. That was a more incredible tale then I was expecting!" Purah says excitedly, springing more questions on the two of them as Aryll cuts in as well.

Cado interrupts the girls after a minute or two to tell us of a rare wolf attack up in the Akkala Highlands. Wolves don't usually come up from the ocean up along the coast there, so it's quite the unusual occurrence. After everyone is done discussing, Cado asks if I still do jobs for people and I start telling him about hunting down a bear for a man at Dueling Peaks Stable just before coming to Kakariko. That first line is all I get out before the table erupts in several comments at once. Everyone is angry or shocked, or both, simultaneously giving me a piece of their mind in loud harsh voices. But nothing they say breaks through like what Aryll shouts. Her voice shuts everyone else up immediately. She speaks coldly, with a bitter tone I haven't heard her use in years. Not that I've been around much.

"Do you have a death wish?! Dad died from a bear in those woods! You almost died a year later... you idiot! I can't believe you." Aryll says glaring at me. "Excuse me." She growls, before getting up from the table and running up the stairs.

Nobody says anything, but they all stare at me with cold and angry expressions, even Zelda. Her eyes somehow hold the most disgust in my direction, rivaling even Impa's.

"Get up those stairs, Link." Impa says slowly in a low and dangerous voice. "You need to go talk to her."

I get up, feeling worse than a week old pile of horse shit. I knew better than to bring something like that up, especially in front of my little sister. I slowly walk up the stairs and stand in front of her bedroom door. I knock and I hear "Go away!"

"Not happening. I'm coming in."

"Don't you-." She says thickly as I slide the door open. She's on her bed, with her back against the wall. Her eyes are fire as she gives me another death glare. "Just go away, Link." She says slowly, emphasizing every word. My name has a particular bite of venom to it.

I shake my head and shut the door. I sit on the edge of the bed and Aryll scoots as far away from me as she can. "What's wrong with you?" She growls, wiping her cheeks of tears.

I don't know what to say. I wasn't thinking about dad when I said I'd hunt that bear for Rensa, the man I did the job for. I wasn't thinking that something could go wrong. I wasn't thinking at all. I tell her the truth.

"I did it for a job. I knew that I would be fine. I learned my lesson last time."

"For a job." She scoffs. "I bet you didn't think about me when you made that choice."

"You're right. I didn't." I say without hesitation.

"You should have." Aryll says getting off the bed before standing with her back to me. The tension in the room is palpable enough to touch. I stand up but don't say anything. Eventually, she turns around and steps towards me staring daggers into my eyes again. Unexpectedly, her hand shoots out before I can blink, grabbing and yanking the hair in front of my left ear up with such force she may have ripped some out. I yelp in pain before she stabs her opposite pointer finger into my temple, her fingernail digging in briefly making me wince again.

"This should have been enough to remind you what happened last time."

She's referring to the faded four inch scars I have on the side of my head. The one nearer my face runs from my temple and down across part of my ear that connects to my head, leaving that part of my ear a mangled mess of scar tissue to this day. The second and third scars are hidden in my hair and are shorter than the first. The only way to tell they're actually there is to feel for them. Almost nobody outside Kakariko knows I have those scars, as the only one you can tell I have is always covered up by thick section my hair. It's the reason I keep my bangs so long on the sides of my face. I keep it hidden because I can't stand for others to bring it up. They're a permanent mark of shame.

When I was eight, I got a very idiotic idea. I was mad, and I wanted revenge on the bear that killed my dad. I put on my weapon belt and bow, and then took one of Cado's swords, a light and short one, and snuck out of the village with it. I still have no idea how I managed to get out of the village with the sword as everyone knew I wasn't allowed to have it. I went to Bubinga forest in the middle of the afternoon, around the time my dad was attacked that awful day a year previous. I walked around the woods until I found a bear. I didn't know if it was the one who killed my dad, but eight-year-old me didn't care. I just wanted to kill it. I thought maybe even if it wasn't the bear, it was brother or sister or mom or dad of it, and it would hurt for hurting me. For taking away my dad, I would take away someone it loved. I snuck up on said bear with my bow and arrow, but I didn't have the skills to kill it. I could barely even shoot back then. I missed the bear with my pathetic aim with my first arrow. The bear noticed me and started coming toward me then, after letting out an angry yell. I ran and hid behind a tree, scared out of my mind. But that wasn't enough to stop me that day, and I knew the bear was right there on the other side. So brave, no.. stupid little me ran out from behind the tree with the sword. The bear swiped at me before I could even swing the weapon, connecting with my head, and sent me flying to the ground. I remember hitting my head on the ground hard before I blacked out. The next thing I knew, I was laying in bed with a huge amount of bandages wrapped around my head. Aryll was there, and she threw her arms around me, sobbing, as soon as I opened my eyes. Then she started hitting me, hard enough to leave several bruises later. She screamed and called me every word and phrase a six-year-old could come up with. I remember Impa running in the room and then Cado, who pulled Aryll off of me.

I learned later that day I'd been asleep for two days and that Cado saved my life, risking his own by distracting it and killing the beast with his bow. If he hadn't been there I would have died. He told me I was bleeding so much he thought I was going bleed to death before he got me home. The village doctor had to cut and shave my hair away to sew my head shut with a ton of stitches. I don't even know how many I had. Impa cut the rest of my hair short and changed the dressings two times a day for two weeks. I was reminded, scolded, and lectured almost daily for weeks that I was lucky the bear's claws didn't get my neck, and they only grazed the side of my head. I was constantly also reminded that I was lucky it didn't break my neck, that I didn't receive brain damage, and most importantly of all: that I hadn't been killed. Impa wouldn't let me leave the village for months. Cado had to bring Aryll and I to Rusl's if we wanted to visit.

Aryll stands there crying and punches me in the chest, which hardly hurts but snaps me back to present. "You're all I have!" She says, nearly shouting, then her arms are thrown tightly around me, making me stumble backwards a step. She sobs with her face pressed against my chest grabbing the back of my shirt so I wrap my arms around her. It feels like there's a massive piece of ice lodged into my chest where my heart is supposed to be. I don't think I've ever felt as bad as I do now about anything I've done in my entire life. She doesn't cry on me for more than a minute, however, before shoving me away and sniffing loudly. She points her finger toward the door and tells me to get out.

I walk down the stairs to find everyone is done eating. Nobody looks my way and they silently clean up their dishes. Aryll's and my plate sit on the table half eaten, but I have no appetite to eat anymore. Instead, I walk outside and trudge my way down the stairs. I walk to where the apple contest was held and climb over the old wooden fence there. I stand on the edge of the cliff that overlooks the Lanayru Wetlands. Hyrule Castle stands out in the distance among the miles and miles of grassy plains and numerous hills and mountains lining the horizon.

I used to come here a lot since nobody would ever bother me. It was my favorite place to be alone. It's not much of a hiding spot, but it's peaceful and quiet all the same. I take a small rock from a pile on the ground and chuck it over the cliff side, watching it until I lose track. I remember putting the pile here years ago, and I find it hard to believe the rocks are still there. I suspect someone else must have took up my habit while I was gone. I always kept rocks here to throw over the cliff when I was having a shitty day or was exceptionally pissed. Throwing things always seemed to help back then, but I'm not sure it will help now. But either way, I chuck rock after rock off the cliff with force, putting all my strength into it, trying to rid myself of the overwhelming anger I suddenly feel.

I'm filled with disgust at myself. I can't get Aryll's face out of my mind. All I can picture is how mad and upset she was. It hurts to know that I let her down, when I know that I am everything to her, as she is to me. We're the only blood related family either of us have, and I should know better than to throw my life into danger after having a near-death experience that could leave her alone. But until now I couldn't see just how incredibly thickheaded I've been. Aryll and I only talked about why I went on that suicidal quest for revenge once, and after that she never brought it up again. We never talked about that day after that, just like the day dad died. I sit down against the fence and let out a heavy sigh.

The image of all the other cold looks I got from everyone else fills my head then. I haven't seen Impa look so infuriated with me in a long time, and she looked like she wanted to rip my head off. Paya looked probably as mean as I've ever seen her; eyebrows lowered with her brown eyes filled with a crossness I'd have thought impossible for her until now, and her lips set in a heavy scowl. Cado just stared at me with an empty look, no doubt extraordinarily disappointed I would do something so stupid after he saved my life all those years ago. And Zelda, her viridian eyes piercing daggers into mine. She was mad when I took that job, so I can only imagine what she thinks now. She may not know all the details like the rest of my family, but she had the same fury in her eyes as everyone else. How I can care so much about what she thinks of me when I've known her less than a week perplexes me to a fathomless end. Her opinion shouldn't matter so much to me, but her cold expression struck right through me like the sword I carry on my back. I hardly know her but she has that impact on me. It's...ridiculous.

I sit on the edge of the cliff, hanging my legs over the side, watching the sun start to lower in the sky casting orange and red light upon the horizon. I throw the rock I still hold in my right hand over the cliff as I hear somebody's footsteps coming up behind me. I don't turn my head since I don't really care who it is. I don't say anything before a soft, quiet voice breaks the silence.

"Link, do you want to join us for the bonfire?"

Out of everyone, I'm not expecting it to be Paya. I expected that Purah would have come to chew me out if anyone came to find me. I suspect that Impa probably sent her. I sigh and look over my left shoulder to where she's standing on the opposite side of the fence.

"I'll be there soon." I mutter.

I wait until she's walked away before standing up.

I walk out of the village through the entrance at the back. I spot all my family members sitting on a large tree log that's been there since I was a kid. Everyone else in the village and some remaining visitors also stand near the huge fire pit of garbage. There a quite a bit of cut up firewood sitting to the side twenty feet away. Zelda sits in the grass next to Aryll several feet away from everyone else, an arm around my sister's shoulders as Aryll leans against her. I slowly trudge my way over and stand next to the fire pit that Cado and Dorian are working on lighting. A couple of minutes later the fire is started and I sit down in the grass. Purah comes over and plops down next to me. I try to ignore her when she starts lecturing me until she grabs my ear and forces me to look at her.

"Ow!" I yell scowling at her and rubbing it.

"Linky, you are being rude! I get that you are mad, or upset, or whatever is wrong with you, but you should at least listen to me." She snaps.

"I don't feel like talking."

"Well, you should. Did you apologize to Aryll?"

I give her an irritated look. "Of course I did."

"She's been crying with Zelda over there. Maybe you should go try to make up."

I look over to my sister and see that Zelda is now hugging her. Aryll visibly shakes in her arms. I groan and push myself up to my feet and head their way. I can see Zelda's expression, one of sympathy as Aryll speaks quietly to her. I want to stop walking toward them and go to the village instead, but I don't, since it won't be any easier to face Aryll later than it will be now. Zelda notices me first and she looks up at me, then whispers to Aryll, who sighs but looks up to me. Zelda lets her go and stands up before leaving us. The look she gives me as she passes is hard to read, so I don't think about it. I sit down in the grass and Aryll looks away from me. After what feels like several minutes later I break the silence between us.

"I'm sorry."

"I know." She says pulling at the grass beside her, flicking it away in front of us.

"I won't take on life-threatening jobs anymore."

She finally looks at me. "You take jobs like that a lot?"

"No. That's actually the first one in a very long time."

"Oh." She says flatly. We sit there as a couple of kids pass by and I don't know what else to say. She eventually speaks again. "You promise?"

I take her hand and wrap my pinky around hers. "I promise. You can snap this finger if I break the promise."

"Link! I'd never do that! Shut up."

I hug her and Aryll sits there stiff for a couple of seconds before finally hugging me back, squeezing me tighter than I expect.

"You better not be an idiot anymore. But if you are anyway, I hope Zelda kicks your ass."

I laugh as I let her go. "Are we good? I don't want to leave with my little sister pissed at me."

Aryll sighs heavily."Yeah. I forgive you...this time. But, you seriously better not do it again."

Accordion music fills the air in a joyful tune as the stars start coming out. I overhear Purah saying she's going to teach Zelda how to dance, making fun of her lightly. Zelda just laughs as Purah gestures and explains what she's supposed to do.

I sit down next to Cado, who gives me a lecture to which I just nod, agreeing with everything he says. Impa whacks me upside the head and tells me I better be listening. She doesn't want to hear about me going on a suicidal hunt again. Apparently Zelda gave them all the details that I shared with her that night. I give them both my promise before I change the subject, talking with Cado for a while before Koko and Cottla come over and ask me to dance with them, taking my hands and trying to pull me to my feet. I stand up and dance with them a little. After a couple of minutes, I grab one of each their hands and tell them to hold on to my arms tightly with their other hand. They both say "okay!" and I lift them up a foot off the ground and spin in a circle, making them swing in the air, which they both love as it feels like they are flying. I know so, because my dad used to do the same thing with Aryll and me when we were little. After a while, Dorian comes over and thanks me for entertaining his daughters for a bit, putting Cottla on his shoulders and putting Koko on hip as he walks away.

I see Zelda sitting alone over on the log next to the bonfire so I go over and sit next to her. She looks away, her smile fading when she sees me and I forget what I was going to say to her. She sighs before speaking.

"You know, I was mad at you when you took that job, but I had no idea that you did something so stupid years ago. I hardly really know you, but I can't believe you would do that after what happened when you guys were kids."

I know she's not just talking about my dad dying. Aryll obviously told her what I did back then.

"I knew that I'd be fine, but you and everyone else are right. I was a moron to go hunt down a bear again. I was even stupider to tell them all about it."

"Yeah." She scoffs bitterly and her tone is cold next. "Aryll made me promise not to let you do something like that again. Not that I could stop you."

Her comment irritates me because it's not true. Not now anyway. I might have blown off her suggestions not to take that job down at Dueling Peaks, but I wouldn't do the same thing now. I don't bother defending myself and telling her that though.

"She made me make the same promise. Don't worry, I don't break promises."

"Good." She says flatly.

We sit there staring at the fire as the embers crackle and tiny sparks fly through the air. I break the silence telling her Purah's dance lessons really paid off.

"You were watching?" She says raising her eyebrows.

"No. But I did see you guys over there when Dorian's daughters begged me to dance with them."

"I'm that bad?"

I snicker. "You're terrible."

She looks upset for a moment but it's clear she's faking it when a smile lights up her face a couple of seconds later. "I know. No wonder you looked like you were going to laugh when you asked me to dance last night. Of course you saw me..."

A loud booming noise sounds nearby and several people scream and the music stops abruptly. The booming sounds like it comes from all directions at once as Zelda and I look around quickly. Then the chaos that's filled the area breaks suddenly as people start looking up at the sky, many of them pointing their fingers and shouting with awed expressions. Zelda and I look to the sky to see colorful sparks glittering through the air.

"Whoa!" Zelda says, taking the word right out of my mouth. Something shoots up into the air in streaking line then another booming is heard, before more colorful sparks expand in a wide arch, lighting up the sky. I hear someone shout "Over there" and I look in the direction that they point. I notice that a man is over in the clearing maybe two hundred feet away, lighting something on the ground, which leads to more and more of the streaking lines zipping up into the air, exploding a hundred feet up, and creating an amazing display. I don't know how he's doing it, but this is by far one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Everyone cheers and gasps at the sight, talking loudly as Cado walks over near us.

"What are they?" I ask him before staring up at the sky again.

"Hudson calls them "fireboomers." When he explained them to me, it sounded dangerous, but he convinced Impa to let him share them tonight. I have to admit, they are a pretty genius invention."

"Hell yeah they are."

I feel a soft hand take mine, momentarily distracting me from the sky. I look over and see Zelda, grinning like I am. I can feel her shaking with excitement as more and more fireboomers explode into the sky.


	14. The Owl and The Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can read this story on my fanfiction.net account too: Lilyanna32  
> I don't know how to italic/bold sentences on this site, and my chapters usually have a few lines of italics in them so...

Chapter 14

The Owl and The Wolf

Link's PoV

We stand at the bottom of the stairs in a group, taking turns hugging each other and saying goodbyes. Zelda and I are leaving along side Purah, Bolson, and Karson since we're all heading the same way. Impa told me over breakfast that Rusl wants me to visit before Zelda and I go on our way. Purah is excited to be traveling beside us, even if it will only be for a short trip and we'll be parting at Fort Hateno. Impa is the last person to give me a hug and she squeezes me tightly in a bone-crushing hug.

"Be careful out there. Don't think I don't know how reckless you can be. I've gotten some stories back to me from traveling merchants. You better take care of your girl on the road."

"Zelda's n-"

"Shush Link. I know you know this as I've drilled it into your head, but I'm saying it anyway. You better treat her with respect. If I ever hear differently you will be answering to my wrath."

"Of course I will." I say, irritated. But she's not my girl… I add silently. I hear a whisper and then a giggle behind me as Impa finally releases me.

"I love you Link, take care of yourself."

"Love you too, Impa. I will."

Zelda and I go through our stuff one last time, which is loaded up onto our horses that stand next to us, to make sure we have everything. Paya hands a small blue bag to Zelda.

"For your travels, just a few things I thought you might need."

"Thank you, Paya." She says looking inside the bag before stepping over to hug her.

"Aww one of Paya's sweet goodbye gifts. We can always count on my little sis to be so sweet." Purah comments, pulling Paya into a brief tight hug. Then she puts her hands on her hips and turns to us before saying "Everyone ready?"

"Ready hun, let's get this show on the road." Bolson says. Zelda and I nod before mounting our horses.

x.x.x

Uli is outside, sitting under a tree when we arrive at their cabin. She looks up from her book with a smile before calling Rusl's name to announce the five of us are there. I dismount my horse as Rusl comes out the door and bring her to the stable with Zelda before he invites us inside. Their little cabin is packed with our group a minute later. Uli asks if anyone would like some tea that she just finished brewing, and everyone but I accepts her offer. Rusl leads me into the one other room that's separate the kitchen-living space, their bedroom. He picks up a long rectangular box from the floor and sets it on the wooden desk sitting on the wall.

"I've had this for years. Impa gave it to me when we lost your dad, thinking I should have it. But now I think it rightfully belongs to you. I should have given it to you a long time ago."

He opens the box to reveal a sword that I recognize immediately. I don't know how I remember, since it has been years since I saw the thing, but I know immediately that it's my dad's. A memory flashes through my mind as if it were yesterday. I was seven years old. My dad's sitting on our front porch as I swing around a wooden sword in the grass before him, listening to him talk about teaching me to make my own sword someday. I remember coming over and watching him carve out the wooden design of the cross guard before wrapping the hilt in thin leather. That afternoon I watched him create the blade for it. The sword is in excellent condition, blade polished immaculately and sharpened. The wood of the hilt is also as flawless as the day I last saw it.

Rusl holds the weapon out to me and I hold its blade across my palm, before I sit down on the desk chair and hold it on my lap. My dad carried this sword every day that year, as it was the finest blade he ever made and he was very proud of it. He had it with him the day he died. I remember seeing it next to the bed they laid him on at home, when he was telling Aryll and I how much he loved us, how proud he was of us. He looked at us with a huge shaky grin the whole time, even though the doctor said he was in a lot of pain. If it weren't for all the bandages he was wrapped in and his pale sweaty skin, I could have been fooled he wasn't a man on the verge of death. I try not to recall the moments right after that with all my might but, regardless of my effort, they come flooding back to me. I hardly notice as I shake, and a few drops of salty water dot the shiny surface of the blade as I sit there. Seeing this sword again brings me happiness, but it also brings me the worst pain. Either way, I'm glad to have it now. I stand up to rest the sword on the desk and wipe my eyes before I pull Rusl into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Rusl. It means so much to me that you kept it all these years."

"Of course I did. You're welcome." He says hugging me back firmly.

x.x.x

We all hang out and eat lunch outside under a tree around noon, then Purah and the two men say their final goodbyes to us. Bolson says "Take care, Studly. Keep Zelly here safe." before pulling me into an awkward hug. I don't mind Bolson, not really, but sometimes he does sort of...give me the chills. The fact he's a balding man with gray hair, wears pink and tiger stripes, speaks flamboyantly and, if I'm not wrong, hits on me, just gives me the feeling of wanting to run.

Purah makes me promise to write her letters every once in a while and to make sure Zelda remembers too. After a long goodbye full of jokes, we watch them walk away and Zelda asks if I'm ready to head out too.

"Almost, but there's something I have to do before we leave.

x.x.x

I walk down a road between two mountains to a wide open area filled with wildflowers. I make my way to the right through the trees where two raised statues sit in the back, underneath the shade of an apple tree. They sit in front of a natural archway of boulders that's probably been there forever, and somehow it only adds to the sereneness of the area. Both statues stand about four feet high and are elegantly carved of dark, finished wood set behind smooth, flat stones at their base, which have been cleared of weeds and dirt since Rusl, I assume, has been regularly maintaining it. A little bluebird lands on the statue on the right, chirping once before flying off. A small bed of blue, yellow, and red flowers sit right in front my parents' headstones. Aryll and I planted these flowers with Rusl five years ago, and they re-bloom every spring and summer. Impa decided to bury my mom, her best friend, under the apple tree when I was two years old, so my dad was rested here right beside her. I used to try to talk to my mom when I came here, but since I never knew her, I've never had much to say. After a while I just gave up, simply acknowledging her while pushing away the guilty feeling of not being able to feel for her. But my dad, I spent many, many days here talking to him.

I stand in front of their graves and take a deep breath.

"Hey dad. I know I haven't come for a long time. Rusl gave me your sword today. I guess Impa gave it to him and he thought it should belong to me. I'll be carrying it with me from now on. I met someone in Hateno who has caught my eye like nobody else, a woman named Zelda who showed me up in archery." I laugh shortly, as if he's ever seen me shoot a bow. "I'm sure if you could meet her you'd like her. I-" I stop as my chest feels heavy, the old pain filling me with a choking darkness. I bend down and rest on my knee, then I put my right hand on the smooth gravestone. I whisper next. "I wish so many things. I wish I could hear your voice. I'd even settle for you giving me a hard time. I wish that you could be part of my life, dad. I know you didn't leave us out of will, and like Rusl always used to tell me: you're still here. It's been thirteen years, but it seems that I'll never stop missing you."

I swallow thickly and the muscles of my throat feel tight. I sit on my knees, feeling the void in my heart grow and expand into the pain I usually keep buried deep down. I take slow, deep breaths into my lungs, putting my hands in the dirt in front of me, till I feel well enough to stand. I straighten up slowly, looking to the azure sky before looking back at my parents' statues and then closing my eyes.

Soon, I hear a footstep behind me and my eyes snap open. I turn quickly to see Zelda standing there. I feel a rush of anxiety and I wonder if she heard me talking. She looks behind me and then she goes a little pale. Zelda asks if I'd like to be alone and I shake my head, telling her I'd rather she stay. It's true, I don't want to be here alone. I turn around again and then it's quiet except for the soft singing of birds somewhere. I take slow breaths as I stand there, still fending off the coldness inside. I should be mad at her for sneaking up on me, but strangely, I'm not.

"Do you talk to them?" Zelda asks quietly, stepping up to my side and confirming the fact she didn't just hear me. I quietly let out a breath of relief.

"I used to, but I haven't been here for a long time. I used to come here to "talk" to my parents a lot. Aryll and I would come here with a picnic basket, no matter how morbid and gross Purah thought eating with the dead was. But she never was the sympathetic type. We'd tell dad all about our days, usually complain like brats about Impa being so mean, and sometimes we would come here to be alone or cry. It wasn't easy for us, but Rusl suggested we spend some time with them. He'd often sit here with us, recalling old stories of our parents, making my sister and I laugh our lungs up. He always said that they were listening, always watching us, so that we were never alone."

The words just fall out of my mouth while talking to Zelda, no matter how personal. It's just like when we sat in the tavern in Hateno, when I told her how my dad died. I give her details I normally wouldn't bring up. Seems I just can't help it. But the odd thing is, I don't mind telling her such things...it's easy. I don't know why, but I just feel it's okay to tell her anything.

"He is quite the amazing man. I'm glad that you have him. Did he carve the statues?"

"Yes. Rusl made them a couple of years after my dad died. He spent two months carving them over and over, trying to perfect them till they were something "worthy of standing here." They are my favorites of his, but there's actually more to them."

I reach over and take her hand gently, leading her over and behind the statues before letting go. There, nailed carefully, are two wooden plaques that were added a couple of years after Rusl created the two beautiful pieces. Impa helped write the words onto them, and she did an incredible job as every single letter is clear and legible. I remember they argued a lot as Impa didn't want to do it at all. She felt there was nothing good enough to say about her friend, but Rusl wouldn't back down saying they deserved some eternal words for everyone to see. I remember seeing Impa sitting at the kitchen table, crying and wiping her eyes, cursing loudly that it wasn't enough. It took her an entire day to slowly write the words into the wood, often picking it up and looking as if she were going to throw it. It was one of three times I've ever seen her cry; the others being when my dad died, and the day that I almost died in the woods. These words were written for my mom:

"An owl, for the smart, wise, and kind woman who looked over everyone in the village. She took care of others with her gentle heart, putting everyone before herself before even blinking. She was a teacher, a friend, and a mother to her children for the short time she got to know, love, and hold them. Taken from us too soon, Amira was loved and adored by all."

For my dad, Aryll and I were asked to help come up with the words. It was awful to have to come up with only a few words for the man who was everything to us. The two of us talked about it a lot, arguing and yelling, then often crying and holding onto each other. In the end, most of the words were written by Rusl with our opinions. We just couldn't do it ourselves.

"A wolf, for the brave leader of a man who lead the hunters and the warriors of Kakariko Village. He was fearless, strong, funny and kind. He wasn't afraid to stand up for himself or others. Eternally loyal to his family, friends, and village. His children live with an empty hole in their hearts that may never be filled, but they live with the warm and loving memories of the greatest man who ever lived. Andrew's soul lives in the forest, and in our hearts forever, guarding us and staying with us for eternity."

I still think we could have done better than that. But honestly, I have no idea what I would have said about him even now. No words could ever explain who he was. I stare at the back of the wolf feeling empty, and then I feel Zelda's arms wrap around me. All I can think of is how warm she is for a second, and I smell the scent of something sweet as her soft hair touches my cheek. I hug her back, confused at the unexpected gesture.

"What's this for?" My voice comes out a lot softer than I mean it to.

"You looked like you needed it." She says quietly before letting me go, her cheeks pink. "Do you want to know what I'd tell them if I could?

I'm surprised by her question and I nod, curious of what she might say. Zelda looks back to the back of the statues and is silent for several seconds before she eventually tells me.

"I'd tell them that you're wonderful and I'm happy to have met you."

I don't know what to say. Nothing seems to be enough to match the warmth I feel upon hearing those words in her soft, melodic voice. I can't believe she just said that out loud. I respond with the only two words my brain will process.

"Thanks Zel."

"No problem. Oh! You called me that before." She says raising her pointer finger in my direction.

"Are you okay with that?"

Zelda purses her lips for a moment, looking like she's thinking before smiling. "Yeah, that's fine. So, what would you say to them right now?"

"I'd tell them both the pumpkin festival wasn't as boring as usual. I'd say "Sucks you had to miss the festival you liked so much, dad. Purah still hates pumpkins just like she did when we were kids, but now she's taken it to a new level. I think even you would have been afraid of her violent nature toward them."

"Why does she hate them?"

"She hates the taste." I clear my throat before saying with a higher pitched, mocking tone. "Pumpkin is disgusting!" Zelda bursts out laughing loudly at my imitation and so do I, making all the birds in the area flee. Our laughter fills the air for several seconds, as the more she laughs, the more I do.

"Her vileness toward them makes a little more sense now." Zelda says giggling.

I climb the tree beside us and grab two apples before coming back down. "I always eat an apple or two when I visit here because my dad, Aryll, and I would always do so when we visited mom's grave. Impa told a long time ago that apples were her favorite, so I'm sure that's why she picked this spot." I offer one of the apples to Zelda and she takes it.

"I'm sure your parents really love that you keep up that…um, tradition?"

I shrug. "I just like apples."

Zelda asks if I'll tell her about my dad, so I do and we both laugh as I tell her some of my best memories as we munch on our apples. Right before we leave, I look over my shoulder at the wolf and think:

"This girl is one of a kind, Dad."

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

We leave after saying farewell to Rusl and Uli. They both give me a firm, warm hug as well as Link, then we're on our way. To where? I'm not even sure.

We come up to a stone bridge with a small wooden sign in front of it declaring its name. There's a cooking pot on the opposite end of it with some old burned firewood beneath. Next to that stands a small, wooden structure with a flat roof held up about ten feet high, where we tie our horses up after removing the stuff they carry. It's late afternoon by now and the sun is starting to set, so we decide to stop for the night.

I use my small fishing net to catch us some fish for dinner, something I have done many, many times growing up in a fishing village. As I pull the fish in, however, I lose balance on the edge of the riverbank and fall in with a scream. I hear Link, who was standing beside me, laughing as I resurface. I can't believe I managed to fall in and I feel so embarrassed, but I start laughing just as hard as he is before taking his outstretched hand to help me out. Miraculously, we don't lose the fish I just caught as he pulls my net ashore.

"Wonderful, now I have to change clothes." I mutter as I ring out my wet ponytail and shiver with my soaking clothes stuck to me. I notice then that Link's staring at me then, and not at my face. His eyes scan over the rest of me and I freeze. I clear my throat and he quickly looks away before apologizing. If I'm actually honest, I don't mind Link looking at me like that. But I do feel self-conscious under his eyes.

I grab some dry clothes before going on the other side of the bridge to change, where he can't see me, before hanging them up on one of the support beams of the little "shelter" our horses are standing beneath.

We fry up the fish with some salt and hyrule herb and eat.

When night falls, we lay in a soft patch of grass on top of our sleeping bags. I stare at the sky and, randomly, remember that we forgot about something. I get up and go over to my stuff sitting on the ground next to the nearest tree, and pull out the small wooden box that Uli gave me before we left the cabin. The one she gave us before we even went to Dueling Peaks. I open it and look inside to see the two slices of apple pie, somehow looking just as scrumptious as if they weren't several days old by now. I sigh, sad that I forgot all about it. It's probably not good anymore after being in my saddlebag after the past three hot summer days.

"Apple pie?" I say joking, looking over to Link who's gazing up at the sky.

He looks over and says "Sure." I blink and laugh before shaking my head but I go over sit down next to him, handing him the box.

"I forgot all about this."

"Me too. Think it's still edible?"

"Only one way to find out." He says, pulling out one of the two slices of pie, half wrapped in a small piece of wax paper, and sets the box down. I watch him take a bite and his eyes close with satisfied moan. "Oh yeah, still delicious."

I giggle before I take out my own and take a bite. The crust is a little hard, but other than that I deem it fine to eat. Not as amazing after a couple of days, but like my handsome companion just said; delicious. We eat slowly, enjoying the treat before laying back down on our backs. The late evening air is warm as we gaze up at the sky.

"What's your favorite constellation?" I ask.

"Hmm...never really thought about that. I sort of like them all."

"Well, pick one." I say turning my head to look at him. Link laughs before I watch him study the sky. He raises his arm up and points at the stars.

"The one I named my horse after, Epona."

I look up and have trouble finding it, so I scoot a little closer to Link trying to get a better angle from his point of view. I follow his arm up to his finger and then I can see a group of stars that clearly are in the shape of a horse's head. "I didn't know there was a horse one." I say admiring it.

"My dad showed it to me once, two years before he died. It always reminds me of him. That's why I chose the name."

I turn my head, and only then do I realize just now close my face is to his. I blink before I roll over feeling heat rush to my face. I cross my arms to my chest as my heart thuds in my ears.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." I say, fighting to keep my voice even and fail horribly. I squeeze my eyes shut and bite my lip. I scooch over to my sleeping bag before crawling into the unzipped side. I lay on my side looking at nothing except maybe the grass, and reach out and pick a few pieces from the dirt absently. I have no idea why being that close to him makes me feel so nervous. I was that close to Link when we danced during the Pumpkin Festival and I felt just fine. I liked being that close, so why did I freak out and move away from him just now? Come on, Zelda, knock that off. You're not shy like this. I tell myself as I sigh softly and I roll onto my back, pointing up at the sky.

"Hylia's Harp is my favorite. It's always seemed to sparkle more beautifully than the others to me; it just looks so magical. I wish that I had the chance to learn the harp when I was younger. It sounds so beautiful. It was so lovely to meet a harp player at the festival."

"I tried learning the ocarina when I was ten, but I never got the hang of it. I only pissed off Impa and Aryll told me to quit. I sometimes wish I didn't listen to them."

"I wish you didn't either, because then I could listen to you play. You could try learning again."

"And annoy you?"

"I wouldn't mind that much. Well, as long you would put up with my harp playing."

"I'm not sure it would be possible to play a harp terribly."

"Maybe not? I'll have to buy one someday and try it."

I hear Link yawn and a couple of seconds later I end up yawning myself. Those things are contagious, I swear.

"I'm gonna get some shut-eye. Good night, Zelda."

"Night Link."

I gaze up at the stars for a while thinking of our day. My dad's usually the only person to call me "Zel," but I don't mind if Link calls me by the nickname. It's sort of nice to hear it again, so I told him it was fine with a smile. Watching him climb that apple tree was something else. He literally had to climb the trunk to retrieve the apples, as even the lowest branch was high above our heads, but he did it with as much ease as if all he had to do was reach up and grab one. I laughed so hard I snorted, which I never do, when he imitated Purah. I could just hear her saying that as he did, catching her personality and attitude just perfectly.

Eventually the silent air is accompanied with the sound of quiet snorting between slow breaths of air. I remember hearing it the night we left Hateno together, and know Link's fallen asleep before I turn my head his way. I roll over and look at his sleeping face. This is only the third time we've slept near each other; the first time being in the abandoned cabin, and the second at Dueling Peaks Stable. I never thought about what it would feel like to sleep near someone like this under the stars. Well, someone of the opposite gender that is. Tetra and I used to camp outside our house in Lurelin on the beach, but this feels completely different than that. Laying next to Link is...really nice. The moonlight shines on his cheek and over his slightly parted lips. I smile as I openly gaze at the left side of his handsome face before shutting my own eyes.


	15. Saving The Day

Hi there! Thanks for sticking with me till now. :P

Chapter 15

Saving The Day

Zelda's PoV

I wake to the sound of a couple of birds in the trees above us and the river which we are sleeping next to. I blink and rub my eyes before sitting up and looking around me. It's been a while since I slept outside with the stars above me. The last time was before I arrived in Hateno village, I realize, since I met Purah that first day, I had a place to stay almost immediately. It's really been about three weeks.

I stand up and stretch my arms above my head before I look down at Link. I look at the watch on his right wrist, which is facing upwards, so I can see the time, to see it's seven-thirty-four. I walk over to our horses, who are grazing on the grass at their feet and say good morning before I put on my sandals, which are laying next to our saddle bags.

I look out to the plains in front of me and decide to go for a walk. I think about taking Starlett, but I decide against it, actually wanting to work my legs which feel stiff. I bend over to touch my toes before I go, looking one more time over to Link who's rolled over and his mouth is open, with a strand of drool hanging in the sunlight as he sleeps away the early morning. Satisfaction fills me as I hold back a laugh, remembering when we were in the cabin between Hateno Village and the old Fort Hateno where Rusl and Uli live. I woke up drooling all over myself in the middle of the day while we waited out the rain. It makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one of us who drools in their sleep.

A little red fox runs through the long grass ahead of me, its little eyes eyes looking terrified as it sees me when I reach the top of the small hill on the opposite side of the bridge. I watch it scamper off in a rush watching its fluffy tail bounce up and down. Since I've been off the road and staying at other people's houses lately, its been a while since I've seen one. I've vowed to never kill one for food since they are so cute, and I'd just feel bad ruining their beautiful fur. Plus, I hate killing mammals; I always feel bad. Oh, not to mention skinning them, I just can't do it. I'll stick with fish, birds, plants, fruits and vegetables, and other things when I cook my meals. Not to say I don't love meat, though.

I stand on a hill and look at Hyrule Castle in the far distance. Well, honestly it's really not that far considering we are in Central now, but it still looks it. I wonder how big the castle actually is up close. Probably massive if it still looks this large from all the way over here. I almost went that way after I passed by the walls of the Great Plateau but I decided against it on a whim. Going toward Kakariko and then Hateno instead was the best decision I ever made. Making new friends, meeting someone to share my experiences with, making incredible memories and such has changed my whole life. It's all because of Purah, really. If she never invited me to stay with her I might have left Hateno, archery contest or not, and none of this would have ever happened. I should have thanked her for that before we parted ways, but I'll be sure to write it in a letter when I send her one.

Before I go back to our camp by the river, I find us something to eat. I spot some bird eggs in a small tree, so I grab them since I don't have to climb very high. I almost drop one as I drop the four feet to the ground, landing ungracefully but managing to stay on my feet. I hate climbing trees but I just couldn't pass up the eggs.

Link is still asleep when I get back. I've probably been gone about an hour. I have to gather some wood to light the oddly placed cooking pot next to where our horses are, so I leave the eggs in the grass. After I've lit the pot, I go over to our stuff and find the spatula and two bowls and forks. I also dig through to find Link's bottle of hyrule herb and salt before I go to cook. I added my own cooking things to his stuff last night, just so it's all together. When I'm done cooking, I walk over and kneel down next to Link and become temporarily distracted by how cute he looks in his sleep. I shake my head and bite my lip before hesitantly putting my hand on his shoulder and shaking him. Link stirs and grumbles, rolling over in his sleeping bag.

"Wake up, I made us breakfast." I say.

"Then eat. I'll eat when I get up." He mutters.

"It will be cold by then, and I don't want to eat without you."

I lay down in the grass two feet from him when he doesn't get up or answer. I talk, whether or not he's listening to me I don't know, but I tell him about the dream I had last night, where I'm back in Lurelin with my family. At the end of my story, Link sighs and stretches his arms above his head in the grass before getting up, rubbing his eye with his right hand.

"I didn't strike you as an early bird, you know."

He doesn't sound very happy, but I keep my voice cheerful anyway.

"No? Well, I never thought you were someone to sleep in. You did wake up before me when we got stuck in that cabin because of the rain, you even had breakfast ninety percent done. And in Hateno before that-"

"Alright, I get your point. But, just so you know, I'm not actually a morning person and I hate to be woken." He says before crawling from his sleeping bag and I stand up.

The eggs taste a lot better than I think they will, and yes, I've definately failed making them before. I'm not very good cook.

Central Hyrule is a vast area of land with plains and hills. Farms are scattered, growing all crops and housing many different types of animal. We see a couple of farmers working outside in their gardens and fields. Horses roam the fields, both wild and inside large pastures. People live in small houses all along the road leading to Hyrule Field, in the peaceful, safe countryside. We ride through a small place called Outpost Town, which is full of people who wave and talk to us as we pass through. Not far down the road from there is the amazing Great Plateau above us as the road turns into stone underneath our horses' hooves. I look up the sheer cliff-side that has been covered in stone supports and beams that probably act as safety from falling rocks and such. The view from anywhere atop those cliffs is spectacular. Many people travel to Central just to experience the Great Plateau's unmatchable view of the country.

I've actually been up there before, when my dad, sister and I traveled up here for a weapons contest at the coliseum on the other side of the plateau. There's a huge staircase that zigzags up the face of the cliff on the opposite side from where we are, said to have been built an extremely long time ago. There's a tall safety fence on the open side of the stairs all the way up.

That was the only time that I ever traveled outside of Faron before leaving home, and we didn't stay up in Central more than a day after that before returning home to Lurelin. But that trip was the marking point in my life where I realized one crucial thing: I had to leave home and be a traveler. The small part of the world I got to see just wasn't enough.

Anyway, we turn north when the road splits in a fork and ride through a small forest. It's silent as we go down the road for a bit, sounds of animals and hoof-beats the only noises I hear. Link and I have been talking every once in a while, but we're riding in comfortable silence at the moment. Up ahead I see a large barn right next to a two story house. A chicken coop is built on the shaded side of the building. Horses graze in the meadow inside a fenced in pasture. Unexpectedly, I see a goat run out of the barn, then more and more goats start running out till there are six of them. A little girl rushes out the door yelling then, and a few seconds later a girl about my age dashes out behind her.

"Let's help them." I say and urge Starlett to run towards the fiasco. Link is right next to me a second later as we bring our horses closer. The older girl notices us then and stops to wave her arms.

"Please help! Stop our goats please!"

I'm not sure how to herd goats with my horse, or any cattle for that matter, but I rush forward and cut off an escaping goat, making it stop and turn the other way, but I'm not able to do much good after that. Link, however, seems to know exactly what to do, rushing Epona forward and around, in a zigzagging kind of half circle. He cuts each goat off its escaping path and shouts loudly to scare them back toward the barn. The method works wonders as the goats turn and run the other way. A round, balding man who appeared sometime in the past minute shoos them into the barn. He uses a rope tied into a lasso for the ones that try avoiding the barn, catching their horns and jerking so they have to go inside.

Once every goat is back in the barn, he shuts the door with a slam as one tries escaping again. I trot Starlett over to the two girls as Link comes over with Epona. We both dismount our steeds and stand before them. The little girl turns and starts walking away but she's stopped when the older of the two speaks in a loud, scolding voice, dragging out one single word with her hands on her hips.

"Romani."

The little girl stops in her tracks and stiffens visibly, before slowly turning around with a look of terrified guilt.

"Yes C-Cremia?" She stutters with fearful eyes.

"I've told you time and time again not to leave the goat pen open for even a minute, especially if the barn door is open. Do you know what happens if we lose those goats?"

Romani nods. "We can't sell milk and butter and cheese. Talon could lose the ranch if we don't make enough money on dairy." She says quietly, slowly and carefully as if quoting something someone said.

"Yes. So you must make sure it never happens again." Cremia says kneeling down and adorning a softer tone next. "Understood?"

"Yes." Romani sniffs with tears sliding down her small cheeks, lips trembling. "I'm really sorry."

"Be more careful from now on." Cremia says, hugging her before telling her to go gather the eggs from the cucco house. After Romani runs off, Cremia turns to us finally, her expression turning to a smile as she steps forward. She takes one of each of our hands tightly and squeezing before speaking quickly, putting a ton of emphasis into her words.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for helping! We owe you two so much!"

"No problem."

"You're welcome."

Link and I answer at the same time. She asks to know the names of the two amazing people who saved their ranch, and we introduce ourselves and she formally tells us her name.

"What can I do for you? I can surely get you some free cheese or milk or something or...or...umm..."

"No need, Cremia. You don't have to do anything for us." I say putting my hands up, giving her a smile.

"Oh Zelda, but I feel I must do something to show my gratitude. Please stay for supper, the least I can do is cook you a delicious meal. I know I sound conceited, but trust me, I make good food."

"That she does. You don't want to miss Cremia's cooking." I look over to see the man who helped get the goats back inside.

"Name's Talon, I'm the owner of Lon Lon Ranch." He says holding out a hand for each of us to shake and we repeat our names. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping our precious goats. I would have been quite the predicament if they had gotten away."

"No problem."

"Well, dinner will be ready in about two hours. You two can make yourselves at home in the meantime. You are our honored guests Mr. Link and Miss Zelda, please say you'll stay." Cremia says, sort of begging, and I tell her we will.

Talon shows us to the horse stables on the back side of the barn, in a separate closed in building with lots of protection from the weather. Inside, there are six empty individual stalls for horses and many hooks attached to the wall directly right of the door. They hold saddles, bridles, saddle blankets, grooming supplies, treats, and many other things. Pictures and paintings line the other walls of horses, landscapes, people and so on. The entire space is well kept, organized, and clean. It's clear that Talon takes pride in his ranch and everything within it.

"As you can clearly tell, we house our beautiful horses here. Go ahead and unload your companions and rest them up here. You're welcome to anything you may need that we have. Or, if you'd like your horses may roam our enclosed pasture." Talon says with a grin.

"Thank you, sir." Link tells him and Talon assures us it's his pleasure after what we've done for him.

After Talon leaves, we lead our horses into the stalls. I ask Link where he learned to herd cattle, as he seemed quite professional at it. I was pretty much just a nuisance, having no idea what to do. He tells me that he's had a lot of experience with farm animals as he and Rusl used come to the many farms and ranches here in Central for summer work. He says that rounding up the cattle was the only thing he ever actually enjoyed doing, and the farmers had no problem leaving that job to him. They got paid quite a lot of money for it, which Link would always give most of to Impa because he knew she had a hard time raising four growing kids.

As I turn around, a head peaks around the door frame before the little girl shyly steps into the room with us.

"Thank you." She says bowing her head forward, her long hair falling over her face. I walk over and kneel down on the hay strewn floor so I am eye level with her.

"You're welcome. Pick your head up." She does. "My name is Zelda, and this is Link." I say gesturing and looking over my shoulder, to see Link raise his hand in a wave from Epona's side, looking at Romani for a second.

"I'm Romani. I'm six years old. You guys saved me. Cremia would have killed me if our little goats ran away. She would have never forgiven me." Romani says softly, looking at the ground.

"I'm sure she would have forgiven you. Is Cremia your big sister?"

"My scary big sister."

Well, sometimes big sisters have to be scary. My sister Tetra can be."

"Really?"

"Mhmm."

"Can I help you with your pretty horse, Zelda?"

"Of course you can, come meet Starlett." I say smiling as Link walks outside, telling me he'll be at their house.

Romani shows to be a very good horse handler. She talks all about her own horse named "Sugar," who is cutest horsey who ever lived. When we are done feeding and grooming my horse, and then Epona because she wants to, Romani leads me out to the horse pasture and whistles. A little brown foal with a white nose comes running. My heart melts at how adorable the baby horse is, I've never actually seen one before.

"She was born three weeks ago. Talon told me she was all mine two days later." Romani says hugging Sugar's neck loosely. I kneel down and take the little one's head in my hands gently and she whinnies and we both laugh.

I get the grand tour of the ranch and I love everything about the place. The barn is also decorated with paintings and such, giving it the same homey feeling the horse stables have. They have some pigs, a cow, and some rabbits as well, which Romani has given all names, even if her big sister warns her not to get too attached to. Their cucco house is rather large and their hens and rooster, who's nice and makes no defensive move toward us surprisingly, run free across the dirt floor, pecking up feed. Romani shows me a small cage of newborn chicks as well. She says I can hold one if I am super careful and I nod, holding my palms out and she puts the scared little one in my hands, curling my fingers around it gently. I can feel its little heart beating quickly as it squeaks. I put the little guy back with his friends after a couple of minutes. They also have a brown hylian retriever named Cookie, and a big fluffy white and black cat called Bonnie who catches their barn mice. A large vegetable garden and several fruit trees sit to the south of their horse pasture and we pick some ripe apples to bring to the house since Romani wants Cremia to make her a pie.

I listen to the ramblings of my six-year-old host until it is time for dinner. The kitchen we sit in is simple, but very cute, with a big round dining table in the center across from huge hearth with a lit fire. Paintings of cows, goats and cuccos hang on the walls and I'm sure that is due to Romani's artistry.

Cremia has made creamy meat and potato soup with freshly cooked bread topped with fresh goat cheese sprinkled and melted on top. Her cooking is just as delicious as she and Talon claimed. Both Link and I have wonderful things to say about it, to which Cremia just blushes and says it's nothing special, being modest. She tells us that Link helped her prepare the ingredients and that he was so sweet and helpful, and Link gives her a smile telling her it was no problem. Cremia blushes when he looks at her.

Those eyes. They work on any girl, don't they? I think as I take a bite of delicious buttered bread. Romani teases her big sister, making her flush worse and snap at Romani to be quiet, calling her a "little turd." The rest of us laugh.

Talon says that they attended the Pumpkin Festival when I bring it up, saying it was a very lively this year. They stayed for the afternoon, but had to leave before evening to make it back to the Ranch for an early morning. It's busy around here, and even more so now that his daughter has moved away and started her own life. He doesn't seem too upset about that fact, however, as he says she frequently visits.

We thank them for having us and leave after dinner to Romani's extreme dismay. She begs me to stay but I tell her that I must go, I have a whole world to see. Cremia picks her little sister up and tells her not to be a brat, making her pout but nod. They follow Link and me outside to the horse stables and the little girl insists I let her help me re-prepare Starlett for travel, making her sister laugh. After that she, Cremia and Talon stand next to the road on the edge of the farm and wish us safe travels as we continue on our way.

"I think you've got a new little sister." Link jokes.

I laugh. "If we were around more, I might say that."


	16. Castle Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I always forget to update my story on this site. So...if you wanna read it the day it I actually share it. Read this on Fanfiction, same Pen Name. I always forget till like the next day, or a couple days later... to do it here. lol. Without fail.

Chapter 16

Castle Town

Zelda's PoV

It's very early morning when we pack up our things. Both Link and I wake up with the dawn unable to sleep, so we eat and head on our way. Link says the next place we'll come across is Castle Town if we keep going along this road, and I feel the bubbling of excitement at that. I tell him I certainly want to stop there. The place is said to be extremely lively and full of people, being the heart of Hyrule. There's also the royal castle you can see from almost anywhere just above those town gates. I've always dreamed of what it would look like up close, so I find myself growing excited as we grow near.

"Have you ever been there?" Link asks me.

"Nope. I honestly spent mostly all of the past year down in Faron, taking it slow and learning to live on my own. I was actually quite afraid to really leave the forest I grew up nearby. I didn't go up near Castle Town when I came up through Central. I thought that I'd always have the time to go there so I followed the road to Kakariko. It was the best decision I could have made." I say with an involuntary smile.

"So you really haven't been anywhere."

I nod. "The entire country is new territory for me besides Faron and a few parts of Central."

Link grins. "I'll be pleased to be your tour guide, Milady."

I laugh as he even makes a bow atop his horse, crossing his arm across his chest. I sort of wish he'd been standing just now, since I can just picture him kneeling down as well, like a knight. Something just tells me he'd do it.

"Thank you, Sir Link." I say, trying to sound even half serious as he did, but I can't do it without giggling.

We walk our horses up to the main gates of Castle Town, which are wide open and Link tells me they never close. Several people walk from left and right, as the town has roads going both directions right at the main entrance, some walking out of the gate as we bring our horses inside. More than a few people look to be in a hurry to be somewhere. Several people carry large backpacks or walk through with horses and donkeys, no doubt arriving in the city to sell their merchandise, or leaving with new stock for the road. A couple of people shout from the sides of the street, attracting attention to themselves calling out several things, only to be shouted at by men dressed in uniforms to move along and stop blocking the street.

I assume they must be the guards assigned to the town from the royal castle, which sits right behind everything in front of us. I have seen it many times from a distance by now, as it is impossible to miss from literally anywhere in or near Central Hyrule, like Kakariko Village. Well, unless you had a mountain or hill or the great plateau in your way, anyway. It's so breathtaking as it sits high above Castle Town like a majestic beast with its many, many tall towers, archways, stairs, levels, the massive gate right at the bottom of it where you'd enter, and so on. I can't even describe it with words. It's just that incredible.

Link says my name and I snap back to everything else. We slowly move through the chaos that fills the streets. The atmosphere is so heavy and dense around us and we can barely even walk our horses through the crowd between everyone. I feel Starlett tensing up below me as she makes a disgruntled noise. It's clearly far too chaotic for my usually calm horse, as she is used to being on the quiet and peaceful road. I didn't even imagine that this would happen before we came in. I know I must get her someplace with less people immediately.

I ask Link where we can take our horses that's quiet. I nearly have to shout for him to hear me and I have to repeat myself in the middle of all the ruckus. He dismounts his horse as he yells back to follow him. My horse is shifting back and forth, stomping her hooves and making a series of panicked noises as I dismount her saddle and take her reins in my hands. I hope where he's leading me is close. I feel awful for bringing Starlett in here. My horse follows me jerking her reins around in my hands and I soothe her the best I can while following Link.

Several minutes later, as it takes us a while to get past everyone walking by, and then where we are going still a bit of a walk from there, we lead our horses into a quieter part of town. We pass through an archway door to a large open area with grass surrounded by a wooden fence circling in a wide range making an enclosed pasture. Several yards in front of us is a large building with the words "Castle Town Stables: The most peaceful place for your horse during your stay." I sigh with relief. Starlett settles down behind me as we walk across the grassy field, ceasing to fight against my hold on her reins.

"I'm sorry, Zelda. I should have brought us to the west entrance in the first place. Your horse wouldn't have had to go through that. Epona's used to people, but I didn't stop to think that Starlett wouldn't be."

There was another entrance? I feel annoyance radiating through me but it melts off as I listen to him. Link looks both sincere and guilty as he speaks. I sigh.

"It's okay. She'll be fine now." I answer calmly, rubbing my horse's neck as we walk.

The inside of the stable is a single, huge, wide open room that's lit with lanterns as well the morning sun shining through windows. I look around to see horse stalls lining each wall. Paintings and pictures on the walls high above the stalls. A couple of men and women shuffle about the room doing various things, talking loudly and joking with one another.

In the middle of the room, centered right in front of the entrance, sits a long, dark oak desk that is decorated with

several picture frames below the counter top. There are words written instead of pictures, however. The words: "Best Stable in Central Hyrule." and "Outstanding service!" pop out to me along other things. There are also newspaper articles with big headlines praising the stable. A pretty girl with long red hair stands behind the desk, her face raising in a smile as soon as she sees us. Her blue eyes and freckles, along with her hair, instantly make me think of Cremia at Lon Lon Ranch. This girl looks so much like her they could be twins.

"Welcome to Castle Town's wonderful stables! My name is Malon." Her light airy voice is cheerful. "Wow. Your horses are such beauties! Will you be boarding them with us today?"

"Yes please." I say, returning her smile.

Malon has us each fill out a piece of paper to register our horses, which have a series of questions about the horse and a section at the bottom for any notes they may need to know about our "beloved friend and companion." I find it nice that it says those words, it tells me that they likely have an understanding and love for the animals they care for. I write down that Starlett isn't used to other people, but she is a very calm horse who responds well to a kind hand.

Malon explains to us how the stable works in detail. I'm surprised with the depth of the care they offer at this stable and the options we can choose for special care. Castle Town Stables is divided into different areas depending on the specific needs of your horse. For example, if the horse is skittish, shy, or nervous around people or other horses, we can have them boarded in the reserved area with stalls that have higher walls and are more enclosed for privacy and comfort. If we have a horse that doesn't do well around others, for instance being aggressive or wild tempered, we can choose to have it boarded in the section with more space and separation between stalls. The third section along the right wall has bigger stalls that are used for those that travel together, as normally those animals have a bond and tend to feel better alongside their companion. All together, there are thirty- four stalls in here. All horses are given hay and water three times a day as a complimentary service during their stay. Malon assures us that all horses are also checked on frequently to see if they need any additional care. It's twenty-five rupees a day to rent a stall.

"We care deeply for horses here. You can rest assured with our team of horse lovers. It's a mandatory thing to have experience with them and great love for the precious animals in order to work here. My boss also only hires people he knows personally to be honest and trustworthy, so you don't need to worry about your belongings. We've never had a case of theft here. Anybody not working here is forbidden to go into anyone else's stall too, as being caught with someone else's horse is grounds to be kicked out. Like written on our registration form, you agree to follow all stable rules." She says pointing at a line on one of the papers, then looking at us with a sweet smile. "We close the doors and lock up at ten pm every night for security."

Link and I pay for a day's stay then board our horses together in a spacious stall with holders attached to the wall to hold their equipment. There's also a large shelving unit built to store saddlebags and other belongings. I grab my small backpack with my important belongings before we leave, telling my princess that I will be back to visit in a couple of hours. I trust that she'll be just fine, but I'm also vowing not to leave her alone, well with Epona, for even a quarter of as long again. I still feel terrible about leaving her for two days with Joel in Kakariko, even if he did take wonderful care of her.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

Castle Town is one of the biggest and most populated places in Central Hyrule. The town is massive in scale to any other one that I have ever been to.

There are guards from the castle to keep order in all parts of the town. The rules are strict but reasonable. There's graffiti and crime from time to time but not a lot of it. For the most part, it's pretty laid back. A lot of people aren't here for long time stay, as most of the buisness comes from travelers from all over the world. Castle Town is almost a more popular destination than the Great Plateau, which is the number one vacation spot in Central. There's a peace up there that can't find anywhere else. People say that it's like being on an island secluded from the rest of the world. Having been up there several times myself, I agree.

We walk to Castle Town square, which is full of people but is a lot less crowded than the entrance of town. From here, there are four gates going to each part of town. Through the west gate, the one Zelda and I just came from, there are the horse stables, Castle Town pasture, and the west reservoir of which the stables pump water in from pipes underground and to places throughout town. Then, there is the large barn for the storage of hay and other stable needs. I know most of that information since I used to know the owner of Castle Town Stables quite well and he answered all my questions last time I was here. The man also wants me to be one of his employees, offering me a job every time I see him.

The north area of town is mostly bars, taverns, and inns. Some of the taverns are famous for food, celebrations, and parties. Beyond that is the hill that leads to the gates of the royal castle, which are always shut to the public except for special occasions.

The east part of town is all residential area. Space is limited in Castle Town, so if you manage to get a house you can count yourself lucky. But the only people actually who live here are those who work here daily or love big town life.

The south section of town is a huge marketplace that holds merchandise from all over the country. It's the busiest and loudest part of town, with people shouting and attracting attention to themselves. Almost anything can be found there, literally. Be it weapons, clothing, armor, materials, art, jewelry, food, personal inventions, and so on. Travelers from all over the world come for supplies for the road. Traveling merchants come and go to stock up and sell their goods. Prices vary from ridiculous to cheap from stand to stand, so we have to watch out if we want a good deal.

As for the main square, it's a peaceful area to come and relax. A lot of people gather there during the day to meet with family and friends. In the exact middle of town square sits a huge fountain with form of a beautiful woman in the center, sculpted into an artist's depiction of the Goddess Hylia, with her arms spread open and her eyes closed. A simple flowing dress cascades down her figure with her long hair down her back. I'm not really the religious type that worships the golden goddess Hyrule is named after, but it's a magnificent work of art. Flowers of all types grow in a large raised flowerbed beneath her statue. Wooden benches sit before the base of the fountain, some of them are the special work of wood-smiths like Rusl. One of them has the image of Hyrule Castle elegantly engraved into the back with two towers at the top of the back legs holding the seat. Thick chains attached to the legs and locked to the fountain itself prevent it and the others from being stolen, though it would be impressive to get away with stealing property of Castle Town. Royal guards patrol the town and watch everything and everyone, as well as the mass amount of people you'd have to get through.

I notice an older Sheikah man sitting in front of the south wall, eyes focused intensely with a painting easel in front of him and his paintbrush moving in busy strokes. I recognize him, actually, as Pikango from Kakariko. He travels the country catching the beauty on his canvas. I've seen many of his paintings, the man has some skill and an exceptional eye for beauty.

Some musicians sit in the middle of the northern quadrant with a group of people around them, their music filling the square. Every once in a while someone will step forward and toss rupees into a wooden bucket in front of their feet, earning a smile and a nod in thanks.

"Castle Town is bigger than I imagined. I've heard of it being a busy place, but this isn't really what I imagined. Have you been here a lot, Link?"

"Not recently, but I used to come here a frequently with Rusl. What do you want to do?"

"What is there to do?"

I give her the short version of each part of town, and she says she'd love to see the marketplace, so that's where we head first. Zelda walks close to my side as we squeeze through groups of people and check out shops of every kind. Zelda's face lights up at all the clothing, art, and jewelry as we pass by. I warn her quietly to watch out for scam sales as some people jack up the price of rupees for higher profit. She says she is not really in the mood for spending, but says thanks.

"Not a lot of this stuff is worth it to buy anyway." I tell her.

"I don't need a lot of things, I'm actually quite good with what I have. I bought quite a lot in Kakariko so I won't be binge spending for a while."

We come across a table of supplies for long time travelers. The man tells us that he has a new item that is practically flying off the shelves. "My hammocks are a hot sell today, and the customers who have come back have had nothing bad to say about sleeping in the air between trees. They say it's a lot comfier and you wake up with less aches and pains. I highly recommend you buy two while I have them in stock! They even fold up and fit into these small bags for travel, so they are easily storable in saddlebags and backpacks."

The seller shows us one of his hammocks that's hung up above his head between two of the posts holding the roof to his street shop up. The material they are made of is quite sturdy to the touch and feels soft at the same time. I actually think that getting one is a great idea, and Zelda tells me that sounds amazing to her as well. The man wants thirty rupees for each of them and we decide it's worth trying. Zelda offers to put them both in her backpack before we walk away, the shopkeeper thanking us generously.

We go over to the food section of the marketplace next when Zelda says she can smell something delicious. I follow her over where many people stand before open grills cooking a variety of meats. The kind that are powered by hot coals and fire underneath the cooking grates. Zelda hovers before a stand of pork and steak skewers. The man behind that grill greets her and asks if she'd like one for eight rupees and she nods, pulling her wallet out of her pocket. I tell him I'd like three and I'll pay for hers as well. Zelda protests to that, but while she tries to put up an argument with me, I hand the man thirty-two rupees and he says "thanks" to me, and "that's some man you got" to Zelda. She corrects him that we aren't together as we take our food then sit at one of the small tables set up ten feet away.

"You don't have to do that. I have enough money."

"I know, but I wasn't joking when I said I'd pay for your "wants and needs." We both know I can afford it. Besides, you're the one who made that joke."

"Yes. I was joking."

"Does it really bother you that much?"

She takes a bite of her skewer and chews it slowly before answering me. "I guess not...but I feel bad having you pay for me. I feel like I owe you now."

"You don't owe me anything, ever. We're friends right?" She nods. "Well, there's no paybacks among friends, not when it's something as small as eight rupees."

"For the stable and the hammock too, you know. You'll spend through your savings in no time if you keep up on paying for me."

I shrug. If it's for her, I really don't care. I finish my first skewer as she empties hers. I offer another to her as that's why I bought three on top of her one in the first place. I know she's a glutton like I am, that much is clear with every meal we eat. Zelda takes it hesitantly and thanks me.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

Castle Town is huge. I mean, I knew it was large place, but standing in the middle of the wide marketplace, which probably could fit the entire village of Kakariko inside and then some, blows my mind. There's so much to see, and some of the stuff we walk by I haven't the slightest clue what it is.

I never thought about using a hammock on the road. I used to take naps in the afternoon in the one my dad made in Lurelin and it was so comfortable. The idea is perfect to me. I can't wait to try it out.

After eating our delicious skewers, we walk around the other half of the marketplace. I keep thinking of Link paying for me. I can't help but notice he offers to do so almost every time I go to buy something. Even with his "friends" reasoning, it still seems a bit over the top to me. Like seriously, I can take care of my own needs. But then again, part of me is beyond fine with it. He's being so sweet and I kinda like it, but I don't need someone to spoil me. Maybe it would be different if we were a couple, but like Link just told me, we're not.

Do I wish we were? I don't know. I've only had such a relationship once before, with a boy I knew in Lurelin, and it didn't end well. I've been enjoying my freedom so much since I left Lurelin. I'm not sure if I'm ready. Besides, I don't even know if there's already someone in his life. But I can't deny that I feel attracted to him, and the more I'm near him, just spending time and talking and so on, the more I want to step up to him and put my hands on his face and slide them into in his beautiful thick hair. I want to feel his lips on mine and feel his hands on my body and-

"Zelda? Are you in there still?" I hear Link saying, and his words sound a bit distant.

I blink and realize that I've allowed myself to get lost in my thoughts. I look over to him and stammer out an answer.

"Y-yes. Sorry, what-" I clear my throat. "What did you say?"

I feel my cheeks betraying me as my eyes meet his and I look away, hoping my bangs will help hide the undeniable volcano my cheeks have turned into. I curse myself for thinking such things as I walk next to him. If I'm gonna daydream I should do it when I'm alone.

"I said, do you want to go check on our horses?"

"Oh...Yes, of course."

We walk back to the stable area and Link talks about how the owner of the this stable wants him to work for him. He's apparently good friends with Rusl, and Link used to do jobs for him. I do my best to have a normal conversation as I try to quiet my stupid mind of improper fantasies. We walk up to the stall we've rented, and Link opens the door unlatching the push-hinge. Both of our horses are grazing on fresh hay so, I walk over and sit on the small stool after putting my backpack on the shelving unit. We stick around there for a short while before going back into town. I say into, because the horse stables seem to be their own little world even if they are inside the town boarders.

We stand in a street with several people sitting outside with bottles in their hands, some alone, some screwing around with friends. It's late afternoon now and we spent the past couple of hours walking around town, Link giving me the grand tour. I follow him inside a door with "The Bearded Duck," written above it, a name that literally makes no sense. Maybe it's not supposed to. The tavern opens up into a wide, low lit room with a long bar to the right side of the room. Several tables fill the room, almost all of them filled up. Most people in here have a drink of some sort or another in their hand, and some chow down on food as well. A stage sits in the back corner with a ton of candles on the wall behind it, lit up.

A familiar girl stands there on the stage singing her heart out, and many of the people sitting at the tables have their attention glued to her. Malon has a lovely voice, and as we sit down, I listen contently. When her song is over, and the music played by two musicians in the corner stops, everyone cheers and claps for her as she makes a little bow and says thank you.

A waitress comes by and gives us both a cup of water, asking if we would like anything. We both thank her and say that we're good for the time being. Not even a minute later, I put my elbows on the table and, while Link and I talk, I end up knocking my glass over and onto the floor. Luckily, the cup neither spills onto me or breaks when it hits the floor. Someone kneels down to get it before I can get up to pick it up and call the waitress over. I notice the red hair and know it's Malon before I even see her face. Red hair is a very rare trait among Hylians, and I can't help but almost be jealous I don't have that beautiful color of locks. Almost.

"Hey guys. Do you mind if I join you?" She says, after picking the cup and setting it on the empty table. The waitress thanks her as well as I, as she walks over with a towel to mop up the spill. I tell her I don't mind as Link shakes his head. Malon grabs an empty chair from the table next to ours before sitting down. She tells us that she just got off her shift at the stable an hour ago, and she often comes here to sing. It's pretty much a second "job" for her, since she gets tips from the patrons near the stage a lot, and the owner of the bar pays her to perform time to time. It's clear why, with her clear, crystalline voice, that she'd be a popular act around here. I tell her I very much enjoyed her singing and she thanks me grinning.

Malon says she hasn't lived in Castle Town very long, it's been a year since she left her home. I ask where she is from and surprisingly, and rather not at the same time, she tells me that she grew up on Lon Lon Ranch since her father is the owner. No wonder she looks so similar to Cremia.

"We actually came from that ranch yesterday." Link says.

"I meet so many people who say that. Did you stop by for some of our fresh goat butter or cheese?"

"Actually, the goats were escaping the barn so we helped round them back up and get them back inside."

"Well, Link did, I wasn't much help." I say.

Malon laughs. "Again? Hmm...let me guess. Romani left the goat pen open again, didn't she?"

"Yep." Link answers as I do.

"Sure did, Cremia gave her quite the scolding before she begged us to stay for dinner as a thank you." I say.

"That sounds like my little sisters."

x.x.x

Link's PoV

The three of us order dinner and talk engagingly until we all decide to get some alcohol. A few drinks in, Malon asks Zelda if she likes to sing, and she says yes before her eyes widen and she changes her mind.

"Oh wait...if you're suggesting going up on that stage, no. No, I do not!" She says quickly, her eyes widening and raising her hands in front of her chest.

"Aww. But it will be fun!" Malon says, before turning to me and directing her next comment my way. "Does your girl have a pretty voice?"

"Zelda's not my girl, but I know she does."

"Oh, my bad I just assumed. Well, do you think she should go up and sing with me?"

I nod, to Zelda's quick shaking of her head, and then she looks at me with a confused expression.

"I heard you singing outside that night we got stuck in that rainstorm. I'd like to to hear your voice again." I say, flashing her a smile.

"What? I was sure you were asleep!" She exclaims loudly, her voice squeaking and cracking in embarrasment.

I laugh. "Nope, I saw you walking out the door. I didn't get up, but I could hear you clearly in the still of the night." Her eyes go wide and she looks away from me quickly as her cheeks flush red. She takes a swig from her glass with her eyes closed.

"Alright. Sorry to put you on the spot Zelda. I'll just go sing." Malon breaks in between us.

After we listen to her sing, she returns to the table and Zelda stands up and I give her a look.

"I...changed my mind. But don't get any ideas, I'm not doing it for you." She says, spinning on her heel. I smirk as she walks away. I hear Malon question her too and hear Zelda say she'd like to sing alone to my surprise, and to our ginger friend's. I hear the beginning of their conversation before it trails off when they both walk over to the musicians for a minute, before Malon returns to the table.

A couple of minutes later, a slow melody starts to play and then Zelda starts to sing. Right away she has the attention of nearly everyone in the tavern, captivating them and making them go silent. I don't know the song she sings, but the lyrics are unique and the words sound like they were meant to be sung by her alone. I lean forward on the palm of my right hand, elbow on the table, as I listen to her crystalline voice. I could listen to her sing forever, it's so relaxing.

When her song ends, the tavern erupts in whistles, shouting, and clapping and Zelda brings her hands up to her mouth as she stands in front of the Sheikah technology microphone. I whistle before I clap for her. Even from the distance of four tables back, I can see the shine in her eyes as she lowers her hands and squeaks in excitement, accidentally into the microphone, before flushing and stepping back away from it. She looks so happy as she smiles with a beautiful grin under the spotlight.

A few glittering things lay at her feet and, after a squinting look, I can tell that they are rupees that people must have tossed onto the stage while she sang. Malon gets up from the table and runs up to the stage as Zelda looks down at them with a questioning expression her face. I hear Malon shouting up at her through the applause as Zelda comes forward and crouches down closer to her.

"You were incredible! Don't forget to thank your audience and grab your rupees!"

Zelda smiles before she stands and steps back behind the microphone. She bows, bringing one hand to her chest, the other out to her side as she bends one knee, before thanking everyone in an excited voice. She grabs the money at her feet before jogging down the three steps on the right side of the stage and coming back to our table.

"Amazing job, Zel. You blew everyone away."

"Thanks, Link." She says grinning ear to ear.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I don't know whether to take the rupees that some people tossed onto the stage or not, but Malon assured me that I should grab them and come on down. I thanked everyone like a show girl, trying to express my gratitude to its fullest potential. I'm ecstatic as I walk off the stage and sit down, smiling like crazy. I counted thirty rupees as I picked them up and put them in the pocket of my shorts. I wasn't expecting people to throw money, as they didn't for the girl sitting to my right.

"You would make a ton of money just volunteering to sing here, Zelda, with how much you just got."

"I feel strange taking it though, I didn't really do something to deserve it."

"We each order a couple more drinks and, as I feel the buzz kicking in, I wonder if my sudden courage to go up and sing was because of the alcohol, which I'd had three shots of something that Malon said to get. I'm sure I wouldn't have gone up otherwise. A couple of other people decide to volunteer to perform on stage after me, so the tavern doesn't quiet down and, in fact, gets even rowdier. Most everyone in here now is getting drunk and the bartender and waitress have their hands full. We order some desserts, taking a small bite of each type of pie from each other's plates. I'm certainly not a germaphobe as Malon also has me try her "Castle Tower", the drink she ordered, which is red with something black floating in it, and I cough as it burns my throat but leaves a sweet aftertaste in my mouth. I'm not really that familiar with alcoholic drinks as I don't usually come to taverns to drink but I thought, why not? Might as well have some fun. Malon and I laugh like loons as we talk and giggle. I feel my cheeks burning and I know I've had too much to drink. It's even more apparent when my intoxicated brain goes from "I'm good, just a little buzzed" to "Heyyy...those lights above the bar are so pretty."

I haven't been drunk like this in quite some time. Actually, it was probably when I was back in Lurelin a few days before I left that I last drank so heavily. Tetra and I took a bottle of my dad's "Ocean Dreams," and got plastered on the beach. I remember falling down in the water, but I don't remember walking into the ocean. My sister came over and dragged me to shore, saying that I wasn't allowed to drown. She was hardly any better off than I was. Our dad found us rolling in the sand, talking and laughing loudly, before bringing us home. A walk that I do not remember.

"Where are you guys staying tonight?" Malon asks, her voice garbled. I keep my mouth shut since I'm pretty sure I'd be slurring if I spoke right now. I'm sure I have already been. Link however, well, he looks like he could do another like...ten rounds.

Link answers her question for us.

"I'm thinking we'll stay at a reasonable priced inn in town. Do you know of a good one?"

"Depends how expensive you wanna go. If it's a nice one, then I recommend the "Cozy Cucco" two streets down. They have really nice beds there. I've only been so lucky to have stayed once, but it was really worth it. If you are low on rupees, there is a pretty decent one across the street from there."

I stumble a little as we stand up to leave soon after that. When Link asks if I'm fine, I tell him I'm peachy and can walk. He laughs, putting his arm around me as my next step almost sends me into a table.

"I'm not convinced. I think you might trip on a chair and go busting your head open."

"Maybe you're right." I say laughing after the several seconds it takes me to process his words.

Outside, the fresh night air helps slightly to clear my head, but I'm pretty messed up, so I still need support as we walk down the stone paved street. Slowly, because of me, we make our way to the Cozy Cucco Inn that Malon mentioned. We walk inside, and when Link asks for a room, the receptionist girl says they only have one-bed rooms available for the night. I say that's fine, since I really don't care at the moment. By now, I just want a bed to lay on because I think I might pass out just standing there, leaning against Link. He pays for the both of us, which I'm not okay with, but I can't get my hand into my pocket to fish out the rupees I put there. I giggle to myself at how I can't even do such a simple action.

I'm glad we don't have to climb any stairs to get to our room as I'm sure he would have had to carry me up. Our room has a small dresser and window with the one, queen sized bed. I kick my shoes off after sitting on the side with the cracked open window, before emptying my pockets of the loose rupees and dropping both those and my backpack on the floor. Link offers to let me have the bed to myself, but I tell him that I don't need the whole thing and I won't have him sleep on the floor like he suggests. I trust him; I know he's not going to try anything as I sleep. He was kind enough to half carry me here, with my arm over his shoulder. Besides, Link's not like that, I just know.

I lay down on the bed, pulling the blanket half over me and pass out.


	17. Hyrule Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Just a random little something before I start this chapter. My beta said something so hilarious to me in a private message, and I want to share it because other people may enjoy her random thought too. rofl. 
> 
> "Hahahahaha on my...dont ask me why, but now I imagined Ganondorf as a ranch lady, like Cremia hahahaha...he even had an apron lol"

Chapter 17

Hyrule Castle

Link's PoV

My boots lay on the floor next to my dad's sword, and my wallet is in the one drawer of the dresser beside my side of the bed. I'm pretty sure Zelda's zonked out the moment her head hits the pillow. I pull the blanket from underneath her slowly, she doesn't even stir, and lay it over her before laying down. Our bed isn't made from Rito feathers, but it's comfortable.

I could have had a couple more drinks at least, but I decided not to with due to quickly Zelda was downing hers. Watching her get drunk was quite entertaining. It's clear that she probably never drinks, as she got messed up pretty quickly. But granted, within just two or three hours did she down at least three shots of I don't know what and then four glasses of Duck Beer, which is the Bearded Duck tavern's own special. She appears to be a fun drunk, as she couldn't stop laughing with Malon, who was almost as intoxicated as she was, smiling and giggling as they talked. The two looked to be having the time of their lives on their side of the table, bringing me into the conversation at points. I hope that Malon got home alright, I didn't even think of her.

That sort of makes me feel like crap.

x.x.x

In the morning, I wake up before Zelda does and notice she's drooling on her pillow so much there's a nice sized puddle there. I can't help but laugh as I get up and stretch, looking at my watch that says nine-thirty-seven. Quite late for her to be sleeping in from past experience, but she was pretty wrecked last night so I wouldn't be surprised if she sleeps till noon. I pull my boots on and stuff my wallet in my pocket. I place my dad's sword under the blanket on my side of the bed before I leave the room. I carried it on my back the whole day yesterday, not wanting to risk the chance of something happening to it even with how Malon said their security was at the stable.

I get some breakfast from a small cafe across the street, before walking toward town square. Eventually I end up absently wandering into the marketplace and drifting past some of the small stands and shops and end up buying something that I can't pass up; I overhear a man talking about tours behind the royal castle gates with a shopkeeper, which peaks my interest immediately, as seeing the inside of Hyrule Castle has always been a dream of mine. The man complains that the tour tickets cost so much that almost nobody can afford to go, but the people who do go come out looking as if they just went through a life-changing event. If what he says is true, and it is possible to go on tours, I must get my hands on some of those tickets. I casually interrupt their conversation to get more information about it. The man looks annoyed, but he tells me that to get the tickets I must go to "Pumm's Flower Shop" in central square. He tells me good luck, because even if I can afford it, it's hard to get any of those tickets since they are always sold out.

I head straight there to try my luck. There are a couple of little businesses in central square, and I know the flower shop he's talking about well. I used to help deliver flowers for their stock when I took random jobs here in town. I walk inside and the owner's daughter is watering flowers.

"Morning Kina."

"Link!" She exclaims, jogging over and hugging me. I return the gesture. "It's so nice to see you! How has adventuring Hyrule been?"

She knows about me traveling the country since we used to be close friends, and I told her I was going to start to do so when I was last here. "It's been amazing. I actually stopped by because I heard that there are tours of the royal castle, and that your dad's shop is the place to get tickets."

She nods. "That's right. I still can't believe the royal family decided to open up the gates to the public, and they chose our flower shop to sell the tickets. We get so much more business now!"

"Any chance you have any tickets left?"

"I'm not sure, actually. My dad's in the back, I'll go ask him."

I walk around absently taking a look around. The shop is filled with more flowers than I remember, and a few people walk around gathering some for purchase. A minute later, Pumm comes out of the back room and greets me warmly. He says that I'm in luck, because he has two more. I ask how much they are and cringe at the price of sixty rupees each, but I tell him that I'll take both taking out my wallet. Pumm walks to the back and returns with two slips of paper with fancy calligraphy writing on them.

"Castle Tours: Enjoy the experience. We open the gates at two pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday."

"Don't be late. The gates open at exactly two pm and close five minutes later. They also obviously won't let you in without that paper so keep it safe." Pumm tells me.

"Who are you taking with you?" Kina asks.

"A friend of mine. She's going to love this. I'm glad you guys still had tickets."

"Oooh a girl? "You know who" is gonna be jealous."

"Heh...let's hope she doesn't find out I'm in town. Seeya later Kina."

"Have fun."

I thank Pumm and check my watch. Eleven o-four. Since I've got about three hours I head to the horse stables. I walk in and tend to our horses, giving them both a quick grooming before grabbing something buried in one of my saddlebags.

Zelda's awake and washing her face in the small bathroom when I get back.

"Morning."

"Hey, morning." She mumbles before picking up the hairbrush on the sink counter and turning around, walking past me and sitting on the end of the bed with her legs on the bed, criss-cross, before she starts to work on her terribly knotted hair. "I didn't mean to drink that much last night. Thanks for taking care of me."

"Not a problem. Feeling better?"

"Mostly, my head just hurts now, but that's to be expected." She says with a quiet laugh. "I almost want to go back to bed, but I don't want to sleep the day away."

I fill the cup that is sitting on the bathroom counter with water and I pull a small bottle out of my pocket and hand both to her.

"I stopped by the stables and picked this up from my things. Two of those will work wonders for head pain."

Zelda asks what it is. "It's herbs with radish and thistle, hardened into a pill shaped form with honey. Impa gave it to me before we left. It helps with almost any pain there is."

As she opens the bottle to take the medicine, I tell her about the tours of the royal castle. She says that it would be so amazing to get to see inside. When I pull the tickets out of my pocket and hand them to her, her jaw drops.

"Those will get us inside. I hope you're feeling up for it."

"Oh, my, goddess!" She says loudly, the last word more of a squeaking shriek. She winces as her voice bounces off the walls of our inn room and puts her hand to her head. "Of course I'm feeling up for it. Hung-over headache or not, I'm in." She says.

x.x.x

We stand outside the royal gates with a group of eighteen other people. Ten feet back, several others stand looking this way as well, waiting to get a glimpse inside. Two men appear at the top of the gates in the towers. I'm sure they got up there by ladders, like they do in Castle Town, as there are similar small towers with small rooms inside to get up on the walls surrounding the town. They shout to stand back, so we do, before a grinding sound fills the air and the ground starts to shake beneath out feet. We watch as the huge doors swing outwards about three feet, opening only about a quarter of the way, before coming to a stop. I hear groaning of disappointment then from behind us, and a few voices complaining that they can't even see inside. The guards atop the gate towers then appear to talk to us again.

"The twenty of you with tickets, you may step up to the gates and present them to our tour guide."

We walk inside with the rest of the group and are greeted by a balding man wearing a blue and red uniform, with white boots and gloves. He greets us introducing himself as Shad, and welcomes us to Hyrule Castle. I'm not sure many of us actually hear him as we look around though; I'm not the only one who's not paying attention. The castle is downright imposing from here, not that it isn't in Castle Town, but the fact is somehow way more apparent now that we're right below it. I used to gaze at this castle for hours at the viewpoint in Kakariko, where I threw rocks, dreaming of what it would be like to stand here, wondering what the massive structure held inside. I can't believe that I'm actually getting to experience it first hand. We stand at the bottom of a stone-paved hill below a hill to the right with a lookout tower placed above. Straight ahead stands the massive wall of the lower level of the castle, and we can barely see the top of a tower beyond the top of the wall. Long red banners hang with the insignia of the royal family hanging in a balcony with three archway windows, blowing in the wind.

Shad shouts at everyone to listen, so the awed chatter of our group dies down and we look to him. He explains that we are not to go wandering off, as doing so will get us caught by guards and thrown into lockup. Huh, so they do imprison people here then. Shad then explains the rest of tour rules and then we're off, making our way up hill as he talks of the history of Hyrule Castle. We learn that it was destroyed by Calamity Ganon in the ancient past, and supposedly it was then rebuilt to most of its former glory in the next fifty years after that beast was destroyed. I wonder how anyone would really know that for sure. Hyrule Castle was the last place to be rebuilt in Hyrule, as the princess of that time put everything else before herself, having no want or need to be inside of it. Shad apologizes for going off topic, and I notice Zelda's shoulders drop in disappointment; she was obviously interested in what he was saying. Our guide leads us through a doorway to a hall that's lit by floor lanterns, and then we get our first look at the inside of the famous castle. It's dark inside as we climb steep stairs and enter into a red carpeted corridor with high, arched ceilings with open stone beams accenting the design. Large paintings hang on the walls, which have wall-torches for light. This specific area would have been probably pitch dark since there are no windows.

At the end of this short corridor, we go back down some stairs that lead to a wide open room our guide announces as the "Guards Chamber," with stairs going down a lower level of the room. The walls have more torches on them and weapons of all types are either laying around, standing up against walls or hung up for display. Bunks of beds sit along the far wall below us. Men in guard uniforms lounge there on break, either talking and joking loudly or relaxing on the bunks, possibly sleeping. None of the guards bother looking up at us. It is personally satisfying for me to be standing here since Rusl used to tell me what his guard friends said was inside the castle. He told me there was a break room like this, but I never thought I'd see it.

Shad informs us that at the dawn and evening of every day, the castle gates are opened for them to enter and leave.

Below us, two guards draw their weapons and start sparring. We all stop to watch them before being ushered forward and getting scolded not to be a hindrance and disturb their breaks. I bite my lip as I want to stay here a little longer before following the rest of the group at Zelda's side, as she hangs back as well.

"Is he our guardian? He sure sounds like one, scolding us in that tone of voice." She says quietly as our tour guide walks ahead talking to everyone else.

"Honestly, I think I get it from his point of view. As our guide, it's his job to keep us in line. Also, I don't know about you, but if I were the one of the guards here, I don't think I'd want to be watched by a bunch of strangers as I enjoy my break." I say, doing my best not to sound condescending.

Zelda nods. "I didn't think of it that way. You're pretty smart sometimes."

"Only sometimes?"

"Yeah." She says laughing.

We follow our guide up some stairs that lead outside into the sweltering hot sun, and we all groan as the sticky, humid air hits us. Inside, the air was cool and damp; a nice break from the summer heat. From there, we walk through a large gatehouse and stop and stand in front of several waterfalls that branch from larger ones above them, half blocked off natural land bridges that lead higher up to the royal sanctum and castle center, which, sadly, we won't be seeing. Not that I really expected we'd get to, it's a miracle that they let regular people come even this far nowadays.

We follow Shad down a much narrower road that leads past the royal dining room, of which the doors are open and we are allowed to peek inside past the guards standing there. It's a long, elegant room with two long tables set upon royal red carpet, with dark rustic chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Tablemats sit in front of forty chairs inside, and I wonder if those chairs are ever all filled. Zelda asks our guide a very good question.

"Do the royal guards get to eat inside this dining room?"

"Yes, indeed. The royal family also eats their meals here, although, at a different time." Shad answers.

Continuing on, we walk along a long path that follows the sheer drop cliff with the gate houses and center castle above them. In the unobstructed view to our right, it is possible to see for miles away from the castle. Death Mountain looks so close from right here that it seems as if it's only a few miles away. The stone path we walk along has painted flower pots sitting just before the safety railing with vines growing up through and around it, branching off to white flowers. At the bottom of the hill, we enter a cave with large holes in the outside wall, like windows, that let in natural sunlight. We pass over a large waterfall at the end of the cave that is deafeningly loud. Zelda and I pause to look down the hill over it. Shad warns us not to fall off the ledge as the royal court is not responsible for injury, or death by drowning. Zelda rolls her eyes as she looks at me and I smirk. We share a look that says "obviously."

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

Thanks to the medicine Link gave me, my head stopped hurting before our tour even started. That stuff is magic. I didn't think it would work so well and so fast. I can't believe I am on a tour of the royal castle. I was sure that an opportunity like this would never show up in my life. I asked Link how he even got tickets to get in here and he said he was lucky, going into detail about how he got them. I'm willing to bet the tickets were expensive and I want to know how much, but at the same time I really don't. Not that it matters, because it was certainly worth it.

We follow at the back of the group, talking to ourselves as we walk the lengthy path, half paying attention to what Shad says until we end up in the royal gardens. This area is a flat piece of land at the bottom of two narrow sets of stairs. Shad says we will be stopping here for fifteen minutes. Tall oak trees cover the whole area of lush green grass on both sides of the white brick path. Sunlight shines through the tree leaves making speckles of light everywhere. I notice nests in the trees with birds flying around and perched in the branches.

There are three large fountains with statues in the middle of a round, paved courtyard. Our guide informs us they are sculptures of the current king, queen, and princess of Hyrule. A few elegantly carved benches, like the beautiful ones down in Castle Town Square, sit below them next to pots of well tended-to flowers and large leaved green plants. A rounded courtyard surrounds these fountains with short little walls with flower beds inside, right along the grass. The sound of the water splashing in the huge fountains makes such a peaceful sound to match the atmosphere.

A brick pathway leads off to a large white gazebo that stands right at the edge of the garden, a bit away from everything else. After admiring everything else, I walk towards it. Long, skinny clear tubes filled with seeds, nuts and more hang from two trees with thick limbs fifteen feet from the gazebo. The little birds perched and eating there pay me no mind as I walk by, as if I am not even there. They must be that used to people coming through here.

It's shady inside the gazebo. A flowerpot hanging by four braided ropes sits like a chandelier above my head. Flowers I have never seen before sprout in long, stringy stems from all sides of it. I reach up and touch one gently before I walk over and rest my elbows on the thick lattice railing in front of me. I gaze off into the distance, taking it with a deep breath. The air smells sweet and I wonder if it's because of the yellow flowers behind me in the hanging pot or from something else nearby. Looking at the country from the castle is beyond words. Standing here, I wonder if I'm actually awake because I never even dreamed I'd be looking out from Hyrule Castle instead of toward it.

Link walks up and stands next to me, copying my posture of leaning against the railing. We stand there quietly for maybe a couple of minutes.

"This is real, right? They really let us in here?" I ask, standing up straight and dropping my arms to my sides. I gaze at side of his face for a few seconds before he looks to me and his eyes meet mine.

"Yeah. I'm sure my subconscious couldn't whip this up into imagery. I've wanted to see the inside of the castle since I was a little kid, but even if we aren't 'inside," this is still more than I imagined I'd ever get to see."

"Me too."

We hold each other's eyes for several seconds and I feel my ears warming but I don't look away. I feel my heart speeding up in pace and my stomach clench tight until he smiles, and then a warm feeling spreads through me. I smile back at Link, involuntarily, before he breaks eye contact with me and looks out to the view of Hyrule Field that we have, with Death Mountain far, far in distance and the sun high in the mid-afternoon sky. At least think it's Hyrule Field; I can't be sure, I haven't seen it from this angle before, but the Great Plateau is also there in the distance, so I think that it must be.

I step forward to the railing again, a little closer to Link, and put my chin in my hand. My elbow brushes his as I put my arms back up on the railing. I want to lean closer to him and put my head on his shoulder suddenly. But I don't. That odd shyness that only comes around when it comes to Link overwhelms me again. I can't even move, let alone touch him purposely.

"It's time to move on. Come now, everyone." Shad shouts loudly with authority, breaking the peaceful silence. I sigh, feeling like that was the shortest fifteen minutes of my life. I take one last look around me at the landscape of Hyrule from this point of view, as I will not likely stand here again. Or maybe I will, who knows what will happen in the future. I turn at the same time Link does, and then we are face to face, inches from each other, wearing a matching look of surprise. I quietly excuse myself and turn away from him and walk slowly, looking around at the gardens again as we make our way towards the center fountain where Shad is standing.

Once our group of tourists is gathered back together, our guide counts us out loud to twenty and then instructs us to follow him. The rest of the tour is outdoors as well, and soon we are heading back toward the main gates we entered earlier. I sigh and mumble to myself, wishing we had gotten to see more of the inside of the castle.

x.x.x

We eat dinner at a tavern called "The Howler," fittingly named with all the wolves painted on the walls and the window on the front of the building. We try our hand at gambling at their card tables in a separate room in the back, adjoined by an arched doorway. I don't bet anything heavy, as I think gambling is pretty stupid, but I probably think that since I've never come out with more than I began with. In fact, I almost always end up losing so I avoid gambling usually but Link convinced me to give it a shot for at least one game. We play poker and, surprisingly, I end up making twice as many rupees as I bet when I'm dealt a seriously well off hand, and draw well. I'm usually crap at cards, but seems lady luck decided to bless me today. Link doesn't come out too bad either.

We sit around in the tavern watching some high bidders have it out at a blackjack table. Whoever the men are, they have a ton of money to just throw out there. The winner walks out with five hundred rupees in his wallet but his opponents just shrug it off and order drinks at the bar. When I get up to use the restroom, another man stands up from one of the other tables and offers to buy me a drink, but I turn him down. He tries to sweet talk me, but I walk briskly away before he can. When I come back out of the restroom, said guy is standing there by the door to ambush me. He's not bad looking, maybe mid-twenties and tall, with a strong physique, but I can smell alcohol on his breath already. Either way, I'm not interested. I cross my arms over my chest and I tell him no thanks, but he grabs my arm as I go to pass him and stops me.

"I said no. Let me go." I snap.

"Just one drink, then you can go if you don't like me."

"I don't need a drink to know that. You better get your hand off my arm." I say coldly.

He doesn't. Instead, he gives me a look that tells me he doesn't like to be turned down. He's about to speak again when an arm wraps around my waist and I go rigid. I whip my head to the right, my pulse racing till I see who it is: Link. I relax, then freeze up again as I feel the palm of his hand rest on my left hip and he pulls me closer to him. I try to keep my expression straight, however, as I look back at the guy harassing me, while leaning into Link's side.

"Let's get out of here." Link says to me quietly, before grabbing the man's wrist and jerking it from mine. He gives the man a warning stare before looking to me and flashing me a bright smile, wrapping his arm around me tighter, acting the protective partner. Link keeps his arm around me until we're outside then lets go. I miss the feeling the second he pulls his arm away.

"Sorry. I couldn't think of a better way then that, other than starting a fight." He says.

I smile. "Don't be. Thank you doing that for me."

"Anytime, Zel."

x.x.x

We walk back to town square and enjoy some music from some afternoon performers before I tell Link we should go to the stables, and he agrees. When we get there, I pay for another day's stall since my horse has been there all day and I haven't been. I bite my lip and dig my fingernails into my palms, feeling like crap for not checking in Starlett all day. I greet her and take her head in my hands. "Sorry sweetheart. Seems Link is a bad influence on me." I say, quietly hoping he doesn't hear me, but I hear him chuckle as he walks over to Epona.

"I'm going to take Starlett for a ride. Want to come with me?" I ask Link.

"Sure."

We saddle up our horses and walk them out of the stable before mounting up. Link shows me the way we should have come into Castle Town yesterday morning. We ride out into Hyrule Field and I bring Starlett to a gallop. She makes a sighing noise that she usually makes when she seems excited, and I know it must feel nice for her to stretch her legs out a bit after two days in the stable. It feels nice for me as well to feel the rush of the evening air on my body as the wind blows my hair behind me. Link keeps Epona in stride with my horse and we laugh and joke about the tour guide we had.

"Pretty sure he didn't want to be there at all. Probably was filling for someone else. That sort of man seems more fitted for barking orders." Link says.

"From the way he kept lecturing you and me, I'd say so too. I wonder if the guy's got kids. It almost sounded like he was scolding us."

"Probably."

We also talk about that moron who grabbed my arm. I tell Link I was about to hit him before he came over, and he laughs.

"That doesn't surprise me. You seem like that type of chick."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hmm...well you seem tough. I thought so when I first met you, considering how you did sneak up on me with that knife." He says smirking. "I liked you more right after that moment."

"You didn't even know me."

"I knew you weren't like any other woman I'd ever met. Did I ever tell you that I've never seen a woman with more skill than you have with a bow?"

"No. You didn't." I say, feeling flattered and also warm that that is how I first caught his attention.

"Well, your skills are impressive. That's why I followed you."

"I'm glad you did." I say, moving Starlett closer to Epona's side as we continue to walk our horses across the tall grassed field. The sun is starting to disappear behind the horizon now and a couple of birds fly across the orange and yellow clouds in the distance. We stay out riding and talking about everything and nothing till the stars start to come out. Link makes me laugh a lot telling me some stories of bar fights he has seen in taverns. After we return to the stables and set our horses up for the night, we sit outside the stable on a bench.

x x.x

Link's Pov

"Close your eyes."

"Why?" She asks curiously.

"Just for a couple of seconds, trust me."

Zelda does as I ask, and I pull out a small black pouch from my pocket. I untie the small drawstring and dump out the contents in my hand. I let out a sigh as the item I have does indeed work, and it glows just like I hoped. I hold it up in the air in front of Zelda and tell her to open her eyes. Her jaw drops as she sees the present that I've bought her; a small luminous stone necklace that glows in the dark between us. She reaches out to take it in her hand.

"Whoa, hey, this is one of those stones right?! Like those we found in the cave behind the waterfall?"

"Yep. I saw them yesterday and I thought you would want one."

"I don't remember seeing them, but then again, it wouldn't have looked like this in the light. They only glow in the dark, like you said. How did you know it was one of those stones?"

"Well, the shopkeeper told me it was luminous stone. It wasn't expensive, so I decided to take the risk to find out. Seems she wasn't lying."

I watch as she slips it over her head, the chain attached to it being long enough, before pulling her ponytail from beneath it. Zelda holds it in her hand again as she smiles, the stone slightly lighting up her face.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I can't believe my eyes when in front of me there's a glowing necklace. I forgot all about those stones until just now. I'm glad that he thought of it and it's so sweet of him. I vow silently right then and there that I'm always going to wear it. It will be nice to have at night as well, since it glows in the dark and emanates light.

"Thank you, Link. I love it."

"You're welcome."

I move over and hug him from the side, kissing his cheek briefly. I think I see some red on his face in the moonlight but it's hard to tell. Malon walks up to us just after and, by the smile on her face, I can tell she just witnessed me doing so. She says she's going to be locking the doors soon, so if we need anything from our stall we should grab it now.

Malon walks back inside and Link and I sit there a couple more seconds before standing. We walk inside to see that Malon is starting to put out the lanterns throughout the stable. I don't need anything from my stuff, but I walk inside our stall anyway.

Someone shouts Link's name just then, and I turn to see a girl suddenly dash into the stall and throw her arms around Link.

All I register of her is her blue dress and the braided bun of her hair before she plants her lips on his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are one of the amazing, incredible people who comment on my chapters, or anyone for that matter, coulda ya maybe..leave me an awesome comment (review) on my fanfiction.net? I love you commenting here, just it would be super wonderful if you said something nice there too...pretty pretty please? I just love your guys' words so much I want everyone to see them! I also -I know its not cool...maybe selfishly depending on how you think- want more people to give me a chance as well to see what it is you guys love about this story, like you tell me, since I work so hard on this and I want everyone to see that. Your words make me so happy and motivate me to keep trying by very best to create good chapters. I love you all for your support. Please, if you will, review there for me? Thank you like always for giving me your time and reading.


	18. Sinking Feelings

Chapter 18

Sinking Feelings

Zelda's PoV

My heart drops into my stomach, a sick flavor rising up my throat. I can't understand the feeling, considering I have nothing to be upset over.

I think.

The girl holds her lips to his for many seconds. Her arms moved to wrap around his neck as Link stands there with an expression of shock and disbelief. At least, I think that's what I'm seeing. His eyes are wide open and his arms are out to his sides, but he doesn't push her away. When mystery girl finally pulls away from him, he stares down at her. Link is a lot taller than she is, as when she stands straight, her head hardly comes to his shoulders. She's even shorter than Aryll.

Who is this girl? Would his sisters have mentioned such a person? Whoever she is, Link doesn't look upset to see her, but he doesn't look thrilled either.

"Hey Link. I missed you. I hoped you would come back sooner." Her voice is high and overly cute, and her full lips raise upwards into a smile.

"Hi, Agitha." Link says after clearing his throat. I can't read his expression very well. He looks shocked, then confused, then maybe annoyed? It's hard to tell which he really is. He puts his hands on her shoulders and pushes her back slowly before taking a step back away from her, landing him almost right up against the wooden wall of our horse stall.

"Did you miss me?" Agitha asks.

"I…not really. I actually haven't thought of you a lot. It's been a long time."

Her smile drops to a frown as she looks at him then.

"Why'd you kiss me?" He asks.

"I wanted to feel your lips on mine again. Seeing you again made me remember what we had."

The mushy voice she says that in makes my stomach clench together.

The tone he uses with her next erases the cold gut feeling I have. It's stern and serious, but not quite bitter, however.

"Well, we are not together anymore. So please don't do it again."

Agitha nods. "Sorry, I got excited." She says in a little voice.

x.x.x.x.

Link's PoV

Agitha. We dated for a couple of months, back before I started traveling the country. We used to see each other quite a lot when I'd come to Castle Town with Rusl, which was quite frequently.

She was crazy for me, and I liked her a lot at first, but I never liked her as much as she liked me. We broke up when I left to journey the country, and I haven't seen her once since then. She's the person Kina called "you know who" at the flower shop yesterday. I was hoping I wouldn't see Agitha at all while Zelda and I were in town. Seems that would have been too good of luck.

"Hello."

Agitha jumps a few inches in the air and squeaks, startled. Her head whips to the side to Zelda, who gives her a polite smile that doesn't match the rest of her expression. Her face sort of sums up how I feel at the moment even if I know she has no idea what's happening; confused, uncomfortable.

"I'm Zelda. You're-"

"Agitha. Nice to meet you!" Agitha says, stepping over and holding out her small hand, a grin bulging her freckled cheeks. The sad demeanor of a couple of seconds ago wiped clean.

"Are you two together?" She asks, waving a finger between Zelda and me.

"No. We are traveling Hyrule together. We just stopped in Castle Town." Zelda answers her.

"I see. That's…really cool."

Agitha's voice drops in tone and her shoulders slump. She sounds as if that news has struck her like a physical blow.

Malon comes up to us then, greeting Agitha and asking her curiously why she's here. Her tone is friendly and light as if she is very familiar with her.

"I came to run an errand for my dad, but I got distracted when I saw Link here."

"Oh! That's right. Link is the name of the guy you always talk about. I didn't want to just assume, even if I have never met another guy with that name."

I don't like the sound of that. It's been three years, and even if we didn't end on bad terms, I thought for sure she would move on and find someone else. Maybe she did, but maybe she didn't, considering how she just kissed me.

I notice Zelda looking at me and meet her eyes. She raises her eyebrows at me and darts her eyes to Agitha briefly then back to me, and I nod curtly just before the other two girls turn to me.

"Yeah, he's my ex. The sweetest and most handsome man alive." Agitha says, giggling and stepping over next to me, smiling.

"I met Malon last year, we've been besties since. Oh! Since you're here Link, want to spend some time together tomorrow?"

"I'm kind of busy." I lie.

"Please? I just want to hang out with you. It's been so long."

"Tomorrow night's the masquerade party in the main square." Malon interrupts.

"Oh my! I forgot all about that. You'll be there right, Link?" Agitha asks.

I'm about to tell her no when Zelda pipes up with how fun that sounds. Malon assures her it's great, and Agitha tells her it's a big deal that she doesn't want to miss. Since I have no idea what they're talking about, I just listen. I'm grateful for Zelda's interruption because she distracted Agitha from me and I no longer have to answer her but, at the same time, I'm not. I don't want to hang out with my ex-girlfriend, but if Zelda's going with them then I'm sure I'll be stuck going too. I'm sort of curious about this masquerade party, though. As far as I know, like the castle tours, there weren't parties like that in Castle Town when I visited on a regular basis.

"Are you two staying at the Cozy Cucco, Zelda?" Malon asks.

"Yes."

"We'll come by tomorrow at six then. I have some extra masks that you guys can borrow." Agitha says.

"Masks?" Zelda questions her.

"Of course! Everyone will be wearing one. The point of a masquerade party is to be anonymous and therefore, mysterious. It's a lot of fun if nobody can tell who you are. Well, I should grab what my father needs and get home. See you tomorrow."

Agitha begins to leave the stall, but then she stops and spins on her heel before jogging over to me and throwing her arms around me again. She kisses my cheek and I stiffen, annoyed.

"Good night, Link." She says batting her eyelashes and then turning to walk out of the stall quickly. I don't say it back and lift my hand to my cheek to wipe off the lipstick I'm sure she just left there, and I'm right, as smudged red comes off onto my fingers. Zelda points to her lips and laughs, and I wipe my mouth as well, angry. Luckily, when we were together, she didn't wear lipstick so I wouldn't end up wearing it.

x.x.x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

As we walk back to the inn, I picture the way Agitha's arms were wrapped around his waist and then his neck and how she was looking at him, so adoringly. She even moved her lacy fingerless-gloved hand up to his cheek and touched his face with her fingertips. I saw her dark freckles against her pale porcelain cheeks, golden hair perfectly in place, her blue dress. Her voice was so overly cute when she spoke to him that it made me cringe. But it's not hard to see why Link might have dated her: she's so adorable.

I bite my lip remembering seeing her kiss his cheek before she left. I felt relief that she didn't kiss his lips again, even if I did not like seeing her lips touch him again at all. I felt my stomach twisting as I witnessed her kissing him. But, it's clear they are long over, though Link didn't look displeased to see her. It's stupid, but I feel selfishly relieved to know that there's no longer something between them. I don't know how I'd feel if there was. I'd try to be happy for him, I guess. She seems like a nice girl.

Link and I don't speak a word to each other the entire trek to the Cozy Cucco. I am too wrapped up in my own thoughts to talk, anyway. When we finally stand in our room, which is dark except for the moonlight shining in the window, Link lays down on the bed and I walk into the small connecting bathroom. I light the small lantern that hangs on a rusted hook on the wall. There's only a toilet and a sink with a mirror in here. I pull my hair out of its ponytail and smooth it down with my hands, staring at my own reflection. I hiss as my hair brushes my skin and lift it back up. My shoulders, neck and chest are red from sunburn, and I press my fingertip to my skin to see it go pale to red again. I put my hair back up and twist it into a bun.

"Wonderful." I mutter. Now that I can see the burn, I can also feel it and my skin hurts. I wish I had known about this sunburn before I left the stables, since I have a bottle of healing salve to help with the stinging that's growing into an itch now. I'd go back now if they weren't closed and locked for the night.

I see the necklace, which glows with a pale blue-green light in the dim lit bathroom, hanging around my neck and reflecting in the mirror. I smile as I touch it, reminiscing the recent moment Link gave it to me. If we were outside just a few minutes more, or later, Agitha would have seen us together. Maybe she would have seen me kiss his cheek. I almost wish she had.

I growl and I bite my lip, clenching my fingers over the edge of the sink. Why am I being this way? I have nothing to be jealous over. Link said it himself; he and Agitha are not together. I'm just being ridiculous.

I walk back into the room and sit down on the bed before pulling off my shoes. I rub my toes and the bottoms of my feet as they really hurt from walking around today. I've been wearing the sandals I bought in Kakariko, which are flat soled but offer absolutely no foot support. I wish I wore my boots today. My feet would be sweaty and stinky now with the blistering hot summer day but at least they wouldn't hurt so much.

I lay back on the bed and my head lands on something hard, but soft at the same time. I turn my head and realize that I've landed on Link's stomach and he's looking down at me with wide eyes. I lift my head and look away, simultaneously sitting up, my cheeks heating. I forgot he was there even if I saw him a minute ago.

"Sorry!" The word comes out much louder than I expect it to.

"It's fine, Zel." Link says, laughing.

I look up at the window on my side of the bed. It's still cracked open and cool air is blowing in. I stand up and shove the window upwards, opening it, making it squeal something awful but loving the way the night breeze rushes over my skin. I lean forward on the windowsill, so my head and upper torso hang out into the night air, which feels amazing compared to inside our inn room. I look down to see the street below is lit up with lantern light outside and from windows. I can see over the top of the building across the street and beyond that, the crescent moon hanging in the sky between misty clouds.

"So, she's your ex?" I ask, turning around and leaning my butt against the window frame, enjoying the cooler air on my back which is exposed by my tanktop.

"Yeah. I wasn't expecting that at all."

"How long has it been since you saw her?"

"Three years."

I raise my eyebrows. "Wow. But...she was still quite happy to see you." I say confused. There's a slight bite in my voice as well that I don't mean to be there, I hope that he doesn't notice.

"I'm just as lost as you are."

I stop talking as Link's tone of voice tells me he really doesn't want to talk about this. I realize that I don't really want to pry into his relationship past anyway, considering the irrational jealousy I feel churning in my stomach just thinking of him and Agitha. Who aren't together, me. Get a grip. I think bitterly at myself.

I move away from the window, missing the coolness on my skin immediately. I lay down on the bed, face down and with my arms below my chest, since my shoulders hurt so much. I have no idea how I'm going to sleep like this. I then remember the hand towel in the bathroom and get up; an idea popping into my head. I drench it in the sink and ring it out. Back in the room, I pull the blanket back and lay the damp towel on the bottom sheet before laying down on my back, throwing the blanket to my feet. It hurts so bad to lay there, but the coolness helps as long as I don't move.

x.x.x.x.x

I leave our inn room in the morning, getting out of bed quietly. I put my sandals and backpack on. I can only put over my right shoulder due to the burn not being so intense on that side. Once I fell asleep, it wasn't so bad, but now my shoulders and chest feel like they're on fire. I need to slather my skin in healing salve as soon as possible.

I write a note for Link, who's asleep like I expect, on the little notepad on the little table by the bed, saying that I'll be at the stables. I walk downstairs and the girl behind the lobby desk greets me good morning. She says that the diner "The Morning Owl" down the street serves great breakfast. I stop by there and eat a quick meal before heading on my way.

x.x.x

I walk into west Castle Town and enter the stables, going right into our horse stall and go straight for my saddlebags. I pull out my container of homemade healing salve and put a bunch into the palm of my hand before generously applying it to my skin. It feels better immediately and I sigh in relief. My mom taught me to make the salve a long time ago, so I always make sure to make more with the easily attainable ingredients when it's almost gone. The salve also helps aches, pains, small cuts and abrasions, as well as sunburns. It's a lifesaver, really.

Malon comes over and stands the doorway of the stall then, greeting me. She winces when she realizes what I'm doing, and offers to help me with my back. I gratefully accept her offer, handing her the container. Since I'd rather not walk around outside today, I ask if I can help her out around the stable. She says that would be wonderful, but I wouldn't get paid for it. Just as she says that, a tall man walks up behind her and cuts in.

"Nonsense. I can certainly pay you for helping out, miss. I'm Ingo, owner of Castle Town Stables."

"I'm Zelda." I say, standing up and holding my hand out. "Nice to meet you. Are you sure?"

"Of course. Malon has told me about you." He says with a grin, shaking my hand firmly.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

I walk through the north gates of Castle Town to cross the main square, heading for the west gate when, through the dense crowd, appears Agitha with a smile on her face. She walks toward me and stops right in my path.

"Oh, good morning, Link!" She greets me with a loud, excited voice leaning forward close to me. I instinctively take a step back.

"Morning."

"Want to hang out? It's been so long and we have a lot to catch up on. I have so much to tell you." She says putting her white, fingerless-gloved hands together.

"I have to be somewhere." I say.

"Is it the stables? I was just there asking Malon for help on which dress I should wear to the party tonight. Your friend was in there taking care of your horse. It seemed like it would take a while. Have lunch with me in the meantime." She says, her dark blue eyes looking up at me wide and sadly, her bottom lip pouting. I used to think that puppy dog face of hers was cute, but I don't anymore. A couple of people look at us while they pass by. Agitha looks at me expectantly and adds "Please. I'll leave you be afterwards, okay?"

I sigh. "Okay."

x.x.x

Agitha holds tight to my hand as we walk into northern Castle Town, and I see a lot of people stop and look at us. Some call out hellos and good mornings. I see people lean over and whisper to their companions, pointing and smiling, not even trying to hide the fact they're talking about us. I wish I could fade into the air or be invisible. I hate being watched.

We walk into a restaurant and Agitha leads me to a table. A waitress comes by and takes our orders. I look out the window and I see a familiar girl staring at us from across the street, one of Agitha's old friends. The waitress makes a comment that makes the hair on the back of my neck raise.

"Are you two honeybees back together?"

I wonder how she knows that we were together, I don't recognize the girl standing next to our table. Maybe Agitha talks about me more than she should.

"No, we're not." I say.

It's awkward sitting across a table from her after so long, I don't know what to say to her so I am glad when she starts rambling about Castle Town, about her dad and the rest of her family. She smiles as she talks and I remember how much I used to enjoy that smile, and the cheerful voice she talks in isn't too bad either. The waitress comes back to our table with our meals and two slices of pumpkin pie, which I can't help but remember just then that it is her favorite. I keep remembering things like that as she talks. Lunch isn't as bad as I expected, and half way through the meal, I no longer am itching to get out of there.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

Working in the stables has its ups and downs. I don't mind feeding, watering, and grooming horses, but I haven't shoveled horse poop since before I left Lurelin, in the horse stables on the mountain above the village. I do not miss it; it's just as horrible as I remember. But hanging out with Malon is fun, and we laugh as we tell each other our most embarrassing stories. I end up telling her about making myself to be a klutz in front of guys, Link included. I talk about all the things that have happened in my life the past week and Malon says that some of it sounds so romantic. She teases me saying it's obvious that I have feelings for him, my voice sounds so warm and my eyes glaze over when I mention his name. I feel my face go red when she says that.

"Zelda, you should just tell him how you feel."

"No! I mean-" I pause, thinking. "I don't know how I feel yet."

Malon just gives me a smirk.

I hear the doors of the stable open with a low, groaning screech. We've kept those doors and the windows shut since it keeps it cooler inside the stable, and today is a particularly scorching summer day, possibly worse than yesterday. I look out the door of the stall we're standing in and see Link walk in. He gives me questioning look when he sees me wearing a pair of pants and work boots with my black tank top. I tell him that I am working in the stables today because I don't want to be outside. He asks why and I simply gesture to my red skin that he apparently hasn't noticed. Link stares at me confused and then I feel nervous as his eyes scan me even if I just invited him to look me over.

"Oh...ouch." He says giving me a sympathetic look. I nod, gritting my teeth and making a miserable face.

"Are you going to help too, Link?" Malon asks him.

"I guess. What do you need help with?"

Malon has him fill up a metal bucket with water and bring it over. We both help wash and groom a beautiful black horse with a white mane. I ask Link what he's been up to today, since it's afternoon now.

"I got ambushed by Agitha. She made me join her for lunch."

Link doesn't sound bitter about that, but indifferent. I wonder how it went, having lunch with his ex-girlfriend. I think I actually see a small smile creeping up on his face. At the mention of Agitha's name, Malon tells us the horse we are grooming is actually hers, which surprises me. I wasn't expecting her to be a rider, though I am not sure why. Maybe it's her appearance, with her perfectly done hair and clean wrinkle-free clothes.

Link and I work at the stables for an hour more before Ingo comes in and hands me some rupees, thanking me for my help.

x.x.x

When evening falls, Agitha and Malon show up at the Cozy Cucco to meet us almost exactly at six like Agitha said they would. We follow the girls to the residential area, because Agitha has our masks at her house. Some of the houses in East Castle Town are crammed together along the street, some having hardly a couple of feet between them. Windows are open as we pass and many different smells of food waft through the air. We walk down the street and at the end there is a more open area where the houses are more spread out. Agitha whispers to Malon in front of us as we walk, giggling. It's relatively quiet where we are and I am able to hear a couple of words here and there, as her whispers aren't very quiet. I try to pick up more words as I hear Link's name being mentioned but I can't make it out. I stare at her shoulder-length blonde hair, which she now wears down in low pigtails.

We turn onto a small paved walkway across the grass to a large white house with a red door and many windows. I see blue curtains pulled across them inside. Agitha tells Link he can come in but he says he'll stay outside and she pouts, before turning and walking inside with Malon. Once the door shuts I turn to him.

"Wanna skip out on the masquerade?" I ask him.

"Don't you want to go?" He answers my question with another question. I hate it when people do that.

"That doesn't mean you have to." I say.

"I want to go with you."

Link takes my hand as the door opens. His hand is warm as he squeezes mine lightly and I smile as I feel a fluttering in my heart. Something about his words makes me really happy. Agitha is first to walk out the door. She's wearing a blue mask with tiny clear jewels on it near the eye holes, and Malon wears a red one with black feathers that makes her red hair stand out even more. I notice Agitha's eyes shoot down to our joined hands and smiling red lips form into a tight line. She walks over to us and holds out the mask in her right hand to me and I take it saying "thanks." Her lips form a tiny, forced smile and she says "You're welcome."

My mask is pink with plastic blue gems that remind me of rupees, but smaller. I think the thing is really ugly, but I take the ribbons tied to it in my fingers and hold it up to my face as Malon steps over and helps me tie it. It feels awkward across my narrow nose. Link's mask is black with black lace and there are no fake gems on it. Agitha helps Link put it on without handing it to him, and he holds it in place as she struggles tying it, since he is so much taller than she is. Agitha tells him to bend his knees or something but Link doesn't, seeming to find amusement in her attempting to tie his mask on with a smirk on his face instead. I hold back a laugh before Malon takes the ribbons from her hands and ties them for her. Once we're ready, the four of us start walking down the street, Agitha walking close to Link's other side, talkng to him.

"They started the monthly masquerade party four months ago and it has become very popular. Passing through and visiting travelers participate as well. I've met a few couples who said they met behind masks as strangers and that's how their love story started. It's romantic." She pauses and sighs dramatically. "Not that our love story didn't start just as cute, right Link?"

"I guess." Link answers. Maybe things went well when they had lunch today. He even turns his head and smiles at her, which strikes me as odd, but I'm probably reading into it too much. I lean forward so I can see Agitha on Link's other side.

"Agitha, is that the main point of the party? For people looking for a partner to meet someone?"

She doesn't say anything for a couple of seconds, her mouth open as if she were about to say something before snapping it shut and narrowing her eyes at me as if I have interrupted her. Her voice is a lot more cheery than she looks when she speaks, though. "That's why some people attend, yes."

"Have you met anyone?"

"Well, a couple of guys. But, none of them were interesting or as handsome and charming as Link here, however. Don't you agree, Zelda?"

"Yeah, he is." I answer, feeling embarrassed to answer such a question with Link right in the middle of us.

We walk through the east gate and into Castle Town main square where the number of people who were here before has doubled. A small stage sits on the south wall where musicians perform and a girl in a shimmery white dress sings. Several people are dancing in slow flashing white spotlights, which are attached to a pole on the side of the wood stage with heavy looking locked wheels.

Link asks me if I'd like to dance and I happily say yes, thinking of the last time we danced: the night of the Pumpkin Festival. We walk over to where the other people dancing are, to a slow song, and he takes my hips as I put my hands on his shoulders. I don't feel as nervous this time between his arms, but we're both wearing masks so I can't see his face very well. I talk about the ugly pink mask I'm wearing and Link laughs as we dance, agreeing that it is quite horrendous. I like the sound of his laugh. It makes me want to laugh too. Link lifts his hands to the back of my head and un-ties the ribbon, pulling the mask from my face.

"Much better." He says, and I can't help but smile.

The song we're dancing to ends soon and some people clap as the girl singing bows before walking down the steps behind the stage.

"Will you dance with me, Link?" I hear Agitha ask behind me. Link's eyes look over my head, then back to me.

"Do you mind, Zel?" Link asks me.

He wants to know if I mind?

The question circles my thoughts as I think about it. I look back over my shoulder at Agitha, but she's not looking at me, her focus is only on Link, and I and I know the answer: Yes. I certainly do mind. But instead of saying that I mind, I smile and shake off the feeling in my gut I get at the idea of seeing her hands on him again.

"Go ahead." I tell Link, looking back at him and dropping my hands to my sides. I take a step back, forcing a smile as his hands leave me.

"Okay." Link tells her.

Agitha grins and they walk away after she places her hands on his right arm. I watch her put Link's hands on her hips and put her hands on his shoulders, leaning in close to him. They look really awkward because of their height difference. Agitha smiles up at Link as they dance and he looks back down at her. I don't like the sight of them.

I find Malon and we walk around the square and I meet one of her friends, Kina, who I recognize as the girl who was just singing on stage. A minute later, I learn she is also, coincidentally, the girl Link mentioned when he was telling me how he got the tickets for the amazing castle tour. The three of us sit on the beautiful benches below the fountain in the square, Kina teasing me about Link buying me a ticket. I assure her it wasn't a date when she says "I wish a guy would take me on a castle tour date," as amazing as that sounds, but she just gives me a disbelieving smirk. Like literally everyone else I meet who knows Link, she doesn't believe me when I say we are not together. I'm starting to find that sort of annoying, really.

I'm a little surprised when the conversation changes to Agitha, and I see that Kina now has a concerned look on her face. She is looking at them dancing when she says:

"I wondered when Link would come back to Castle Town, even for a visit. I didnt know how Agitha would react. In the beginning, it was hard; she cried a lot and she used to say she would never find someone like him. I needed many sleepovers, good talk and tons of ice cream to get her back to her feet, but she did it! Im afraid that she will get back to that now and get herself hurt."

"Maybe it will be good. I mean, they broke up in kind of good terms, but it was all too fast. I think now, maybe, it would be good if she has the chance to say goodbye properly and move on." Malon says.

"Do you think they could get back together? They did get along quite well…maybe in other circumstances…" Kina asks.

I listen to their conversation with a mixture of dread and empathy. Im starting to see myself in Agitha's skin and I can only wonder how Id react if suddenly I couldnt be with him anymore. And in my case, it hasn't even been two weeks yet...

"I dont think so, and honestly, I wouldnt want that. Agithas feelings were always very clear, but I think Link never fully returned her infatuation. Otherwise, he would have at least invited her to go with him in his adventure." Malon answers.

x.x.x.x.x

A while later, the square is lit up only from the wall lanterns, the stage, and the lights at the base of the water fountain as evening has fallen. I see Link and Agitha walking toward us, holding hands, and my eyebrow twitches. Agitha stops him when they are about twenty-five feet away and he turns to her. I see them talking and then she then stands on her tippy toes and kisses him on the lips for several seconds and Link doesn't pull away. My throat constricts and my heart drops in my chest.

I look away, knowing my face shows anything but a calm, straight expression. I curl my fists into balls on my lap, my fingernails digging into my palms.

I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. I think like a mantra.

I'm a terrible liar.

Everything inside me screams that Link wouldn't have wanted to kiss her. I know it. But...I could be wrong. Link could have wanted that kiss for all I know. It's been a while since Agitha asked him to dance, at least thirty minutes, and I don't know how their lunch "date" went because I didn't ask. I look down at my knees and unclench my fists as Malon puts her hand on my shoulder. I bite my lip and stand up. I walk past Link and Agitha, who are sitting on the bench opposite the one I was just sitting with Malon and Kina. I pretend not to notice them with all my might and walk slowly to the north gate. I don't know whether I should be mad or not, as Link isn't my anything. Well he's my friend, but that doesn't give me the right to be this upset about this, right? He can kiss whoever he wants, it's not my business.

I just wish I didn't care.

I pass through the gate and walk down the loud street with the taverns. I think about going inside one, but I don't; there's no reason. I walk back to the Cozy Cucco, lay down on the bed and hiss, forgetting about my sunburn and sitting back up. I pick up my backpack and dig my healing salve out of it and gently apply it before opening the window and looking outside like I did last night.


	19. Last Minute Things

Chapter 19

Last Minute Things

Link's PoV

We sit there surrounded by at least a hundred people also in town square. Almost everyone is dancing, regardless of where they are in proximity to the stage, though most people are right up close to it, considering the Zora band that is playing: the Indigo Go's. I notice Zelda walk past us and my eyes follow her clear to the north gate before she disappears.

Agitha and I sit there in silence for a minute before she lets go of my hand, which I've forgotten she's been holding somehow, and stands up. She smooths the skirt of her dress before turning to me, taking a deep breath before she speaks. "Thanks for the day, Link. It was nice to spend some time with you even if I know you'd have rather spent it otherwise."

She sounds sad and her lips tremble a little as she tries to smile. I stand up and hug her for a couple of seconds and she squeezes her arms around me too.

"It's the least I could do." I say when I let go and step back.

"Good night, Link."

I tell her night before she turns and walks away. I get up soon after and see her with Kina and Malon before I leave Castle Town square. I walk into the Cozy Cucco and pay the girl behind the counter for another night's stay and she only charges me for one person, smiling and twisting a strand of her around her finger.

"I hope you have a good night, handsome. Your girl didn't look too happy." She says.

I thank her, shaking off her comments and walk down the hall to our room. The door squeaks when I open it and I see Zelda leaning on the windowsill when I walk in, the moonlight illuminating her hair, which is up in the bun its been in because of her sunburned shoulders.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I hear the door open behind me, but I don't turn around. I take a breath of the fresh air from outside before I bite my bottom lip. I hear Link moving around behind me. I hear the strike of a match and then the room is lit up from the lantern sitting on the table next to the bed.

"Hey Zel."

"Hey." I say looking at the moon outside. I get that image of them kissing in the square again followed by the angry feeling I get at the thought of it. I bite my lip also getting irritated that I am letting myself get mad. I have no reason to be. I take a silent deep breath before I turn around; I don't want to appear upset or something.

"I'm glad today is over." Link says.

"You are? You looked like you were enjoying yourself for a while there."

He shrugs. "Not really. The party was actually quite boring."

"Oh. I just thought you were having a good time because you've been smiling a lot and...kissing your ex-girlfriend." I say, raising my eyebrows and being sure to keep my voice light. I'm not sure I'm successful but I hope it's good enough.

"Agitha asked me if she could have one last kiss. That's all that was, a goodbye."

"Okay, I guess that's fair." I say smirking and playing along with my teasing tone. Inside, I am relieved to know that's all that kiss was. I don't have something to worry about, if I ever did. I should have known that I was overreacting. I pull off my shoes and lay down on the bed, laying on my right shoulder, which sucks because I am facing away from Link, but I still can't bear weight on my left because of my sunburn. Hopefully by morning it will be better.

The room goes dark then as Link puts the lantern out and then I feel the bed sag on the other side as he lays down too. I didn't think about it yesterday, but as we lay on the bed, he's so close; there's maybe a foot between us. If I rolled over I'd be right there, inches from him and I could just...kiss him like Agitha did. But I grab the light blue sheet and pull it over me before I close my eyes, not brave enough to do what I am thinking of, to break that bridge down and tell him how I feel.

x.x.x

When I wake up I notice Link is in the bathroom, ridding his face of the stubble he's acquired over the last couple of days. I can see his reflection in the mirror. I've seen him doing so before, but I didn't think anything of it. But, well, I sort of notice everything he does now, whether or not I mean to. I have to say, he looks better with a cleanly shaven face, but that's just my personal opinion. I haven't sat up or moved from my pillow, so I hope he hasn't heard me wake up as I watch him pull his hair into its tie afterwards. I like him with his hair let down too, which is how he has it when he sleeps, not that that is important.

Anyway.

I close my eyes when I see him start to turn around, pretending to be asleep as to not get caught watching him, until he sits on the bed. I twitch my eyelids and re-open my eyes and sit up groggily. I hope I'm a good actress.

"Good morning." I say, pretending to rub a kink out of my neck.

"Morning Zel." Link says, pulling his boots on.

I get out of bed and stand up, stretching my arms over my head. I get a whiff of my armpits and blink as smell intrudes my nostrils; a tiny disgusted sound emitting from my throat. I have got to wash myself. I hope that Link hasn't noticed my stench. I grab my backpack and go into the bathroom, shutting the door. I take off my clothes and grab the white hand towel from the counter and soak it in the sink then and wiping myself down. It's not as good as a bath, but I feel a lot better afterwards. I hope soon we come across a place where I can take a long soak in a cool river or lake; I really need it. I pull a soft t-shirt from my backpack, one of the ones I bought at the clothing shop in Kakariko, and redress.

I let my hair out of its ponytail and brush it out before putting it back up. Then I dig through my backpack for the tiny bottle of perfume that was in little bag Paya gave me just before we left Kakariko. Hoping it smells okay, I spray a little on my wrist and sniff to find it smells sweet like...wildberry? I think the scent is nice, so I spray it in the air and then walk through it. I finish getting ready for the day.

Back in the room, I step on something hard on my side of the bed and hiss in pain, looking down at the floor. A blue rupee sits there and then I faintly remember dropping rupees on the floor that first night after coming from the tavern, drunk. I bite my lip at the memory, remembering how I couldn't even walk straight, but smile thinking of Link half carrying me here. I get down on my knees and grab the rest of the rupees I can find -I can't remember how many there were- before putting them in my wallet. I finish getting ready for the day and then we leave the Cozy Cucco Inn with all of our belongings, agreeing to leave Castle Town today.

x.x.x

We eat breakfast at the little cafe across the street before we head to the main square to go to west Castle Town for the last time. I see Agitha sitting on one of the fountain benches before she notices us. She stands and walks our way stopping in front of us.

"Hey Zelda. Hey Link."

"Hi Agitha." I say, surprised that she addressed me first.

"Are you two leaving today?" She asks.

"Yes." Link answers.

"Take care of each other. I...I wish you the best. Goodbye." I can only imagine how hard it is for her to look at me and say that, knowing she still cares about him. I give her a little smile before I say goodbye.

"Bye Agitha. Take care of yourself too." Link says.

"Thank you." She steps over to Link and gives him a quick hug before before giving him a trembling smile and walking away.

x.x.x

We are almost at the gates of West Castle Town to go the stables when Link stops me and says he just remembered there is something he wants to do before we leave. I say "alright," and then we turn around and cross the main square. I follow Link into East Castle Town, the residential area, and we walk past all the houses to the end of the road. A huge building stands here, much larger in comparison to any other in the entire town. In fact, it doesn't fit in at all with the rest of the town and seems like something that would be inside the royal gates. The beautiful structure has the same elegance as Hyrule Castle itself; a garden like the one we visited yesterday during the castle tour sits outside to the left of the building, covered in shade although less well tended-to.

"This is Hyrule Cathedral."

"It's incredible."

The royal insignia of Hyrule is engraved onto the face of the cathedral, with the open wings of celestial birds, which are said to have lived high above the clouds in the sky, below the symbol of the Triforce.

"Want to go inside?" Link says.

"I'd love to!" I say excitedly.

We walk up to the double doors, decorated and engraved with fine detail. It is crystal clear somebody with extreme talent designed and spent a lot of time creating them. Link pushes the doors open and a rush of cool air rushes over me. It's a drastic difference in temperature than outside and it feels wonderful. We step inside the cathedral and immediately my jaw drops. I thought seeing the castle was amazing, and it was, but this is almost on par with it. Stain glass windows cover the higher part of the walls, closer to the ceiling than the floor. White stone pillars raise up from the ground, splitting off into open curved beams over the thirty-foot ceiling, which is painted a pale light blue. There is a large, maybe ten-feet tall or more, goddess statue at the front center of the room, sitting at the top of the steps leading to an altar. The floor is the smoothest, most perfect, marble color that I have ever seen. I'm frozen in awe until Link tells me we can walk in and admire it as much as we want. I look at him, match his smirk with a grin and walk forward down the middle of the room. It's so quiet and my footsteps sound loud to my ears as we walk.

There is an absolutely gorgeous mural of Goddess Hylia above the altar. She is eternally portrayed in a simple white dress, the collar in a design that is similar to the bottom part of the royal wingcrest. Hylia's eyes are closed and her hands are placed over her heart but, unlike usual, her lips are raised at the corners in a small, conserved smile, making her expression look happier than the more somber mood most artists paint, sculpt or draw her in. Behind Hyrule's goddess, in the background of a blue sky, are large, strange looking birds of all colors flying among fluffy white clouds; they are lovely creatures. To me, it depicts a bit of an illusion of where souls go when they pass from this world. This is easily the best artwork I have ever seen of the goddess.

This mural is just so serene that I get the feeling that the artist saw her as if she was a real person, someone with a solid body, and not just a godly avatar. I'm not religious, so I don't know a lot about Hylia other than the basic facts, but I have always loved the look of the goddess statues. I haven't seen many religious temples or shrines in my life, and certainly none of this elegance, but they are scattered throughout Hyrule for those who worship the goddess.

I don't know how long I stand there admiring, but I eventually notice that Link is standing there to my right and I look over to him.

"Do you think the heart of Hyrule Castle is this eloquent?" I ask.

Link's eyes lower to the goddess statue before he turns his head to look at me. "Possibly."

We turn and walk over beside the wooden pews below the colorful stain glass windows, which reflect the sunlight in many colors over the wood and floor. The effect is so beautiful I wonder if the architects of this cathedral planned it that way. I brush my fingers over the polished wood. I think if I lived in Castle Town, I'd attend the service they certainly hold here just so I could admire the beauty inside. I can imagine the sound of the music they probably have during a service, played on string and wind instruments; it must be a prodigious experience.

x.x.x

We don't go back to the main square after we are done at the cathedral. Instead, Link leads me to the very edge of East Castle Town and into a small room in the thick walls that surround the entire town. There are two ladders leading up to the top on each side of the room. Link tells me we're below a watchtower that the royal guards use to get on top of the city walls for duty and he wants to go up there.

"Are we allowed to?"

Link shrugs and I raise my eyebrows. "I've always wanted to stand on top of the wall and see Castle Town the way the guards get to see it. Come on." He says.

Link grabs the rungs of the ladder to our right and starts climbing. He's half way up before I sigh and decide to follow him. I think this is a bad idea. There's got to be a reason I haven't seen anyone else up here who wasn't wearing a royal guard uniform, not that I've really looked, but I am willing to guess it's most likely not allowed.

Link offers me his hand when I reach the top of the ladder and I take it, thanking him. There's still a ceiling over our heads unless we walk left or right, where there are a few shallow steps leading up in both directions. Link goes to the left and then we are standing on top of the wall with a thick, short square-cut railing on both sides of the walkway. There's nobody up here which surprises me as I expected we would run into a royal guard.

As we continue walking along the top of the wall, I can't stop the smile that comes across my cheeks as we experience Castle Town in a whole new way. It's incredible. We walk slowly so we can take it all in: the tops of buildings, the full and empty streets, the bustle of people coming and going on their way.

We pass though more watch towers, in which we have to climb up and down more ladders to continue along the top of the wall, and each of them have rounded balcony to stand on facing Hyrule Field, which looks so beautiful from up here. It's like I am seeing it brand new in a way, as it looks so much different from a high viewpoint than it does on the ground. I can probably see for miles more than I would standing on the grass, and it makes everything look so much more vast.

As we continue along the high perimeter of Castle Town, we don't see any guards the whole time and Link tells me that that's unusual because there is always at least a few up here during the morning. I suggest a few possible reasons, like maybe they are between shifts, maybe they got the day off or something, but Link turns all those possibilities down. He tells me how Rusl used to tell him that a guard buddy of his used to tell him about the strict schedule the royal guards must follow. They have to be in certain places at certain times, and under no circumstance would there be nobody up here at any time. They even have guards that patrol the walls and city at night. I hold my hands palm up in the air and shrug.

Outside the watchtower just above the south gate, we stop in the small amount of shade to take a rest as the mid-morning summer sun is starting to roast us already. The marketplace below us is now packed with bodies. I thought the area was huge when I stood in the middle of it but, now that I can see just how big it really is, I am even more blown away. From up here on the wall, we can see literally everything everyone is doing, and they all look so small. I wish I could fly above everything, so I could get an even better view. I stand with my elbows on the top of the short wall in front of me, which is designed so there are three stone bricks going across, then six up, then back down to three, then six up in a pattern. I watch everyone below us for a short while before Link calls my name from behind me.

I look over my shoulder and don't see him till I look up and he waves from the top of the watchtower. I look at the walls of the square structure and I don't see anything to climb, unless he used the tiny little indents between the bricks that are hardly big enough for a fingertip. I look at the smooth tiled slanted roof he stands on, holding onto the flagpole. Link stares out around him, looking in all directions. I haven't the slightest clue how he made it up there. I think of the tree he so easily shimmed up in the little area where his parents are buried. He sure had no trouble climbing that branch-less tree to get some apples for us, but the trunk had something for his fingers to grab, much unlike the smooth stone I now stand in front of. I wish I had seen him climb up there just so my mind could process it.

"How...how did you even get up there?!"

"I climbed." He says, looking down at me and smirking.

"No...I wouldn't have guessed." I say with dripping sarcasm. "Are you a spider? There's nothing to even grasp!"

Link laughs instead of answering me.

"What's it like up there?" I ask after a couple of seconds.

"Incredible. I can see the taverns in North Castle Town from here. You should see it, Zel. Can you make it up here?" Link says looking down at me.

I shake my head. Even if I knew where he put his hands and feet, I know that I wouldn't make it. I have trouble even climbing small trees like the one I had to climb to get the bird eggs a couple of days ago. Even when I used to try climbing trees with Tetra in Faron Woods when I was younger, I was never any good at it. I'm not a graceful person on top of that.

"I'd fall if I attempted climbing up there. I don't have professional climbing skills like you."

The red and blue flag of the pole flaps around in the wind behind him before coming around and smacking into his back in a sudden gust of wind. I suck in a breath of air as he looses his footing and his feet slide. Link lets out a short surprised panicked shout but, luckily, he has a good grasp on the flagpole, so he doesn't fall off the watchtower roof.

"Be careful! I don't want to watch you fall down and break something."

"Relax Zel, I've climbed much higher and steeper things than this watchtower." He says calmly.

I'm relieved when Link finally climbs back down, sliding down the roof with his face to the tile and letting his feet slip off the end before catching himself with his fingers before he falls. Link drops his body down the five-foot ledge from there and the whole time I stand mesmerized; I could never pull off a maneuver like that.

We sit in the shade of the watchtower for a while until we see a guard, for the first time all morning, walking toward us.

The guard is familiar, actually. It's Shad, our castle tour guide.

"You two! Citizens are not allowed up here. I must request that you descend the ladder inside the watchtower at once." He says. Then his eyebrows lower, "Oh, it's you two." He grumbles. I guess we're a memorable duo. I knew we weren't supposed to be up here on the wall, I just knew it. I wonder if Link did actually know that. Link and I stand there for several seconds, before looking at each other with a matching expression of amusement.

"Now." Shad barks at us.

I let out the giggle I'm holding back and Link laughs as we enter the watchtower and descend the ladder.

x.x.x

In the stables, Link takes his wallet out to pay for the day that we owe them and Malon says not to worry about it. Ingo told her since we helped out yesterday, to give us a free stall day.

Link and I gather up all our stuff and I secure my weapons, my bow and sword, on my back when we're ready to go. We walk our horses out of the stable and into the pasture. Malon follows us out saying she is sad to see us go and hugs us both tightly.

"I may hardly know you guys, but I'll miss you. We made a few good memories."

I tell her I feel the same way and I'll come back sometime. After we mount up and start to leave, Malon calls out behind us "Be careful out there." I look over my shoulder to see her grinning and waving. "Take care, Malon." I say, waving back.

We ride our horses through the west gate and I look over my shoulder to the enclosed pasture and big barn for the last time. I'll be coming back for sure. I coax Starlett into a trot before picking up her pace into a gallop and close my eyes, feeling the wind cool me down. The sun's rays that feel so heavy aren't so intense. All I hear are hoofbeats and the wind in my ears. When I open my eyes, Link is beside me keeping pace.

"Thank goddess for horses. It's not so hot moving at a quick pace." I say loudly over the wind.

"Agreed."

We slow down to a trot as we pass by Lon Lon Ranch and I see Romani out in the field with her little foal. She runs our way to the fence of the horse pasture and says hello with a smile.

"Zelda! Are you here to visit?" She asks, climbing up onto the fence. I stop my horse.

"Not today, but I'll be back sometime Romani. Maybe next time I see little Sugar, she'll be big enough for you to ride her."

"Maybe! Then we can ride together!"

"Mhmm. Seeya later sweetie. Say hi to Cremia and Talon for me."

"Okies! Stay safe Zeldy and Linky! Come back soon!" Romani says, running off toward the barn, whistling for Sugar to follow her. I laugh at the fact she calls Link by that nickname, but I'm sure she came up with it herself.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

We stop at Riverside Stable when Zelda says she wants to send her sister a letter. Every stable is partnered with Rito Mail and has a postbox that is picked up every day. It's also possible pick up letters and packages that people send, but it's necessary go to that specific stable to receive them. Most things, considering they are lightweight and easy to carry, can be delivered within a day or two of sending, since, like the post is named, the Rito are Hyrule's mail people and they are able to fly to most places quickly. We have to pay two rupees to send a letter and, depending on the size and weight of the package, the price varies.

We put our horses in the small fence behind the stable where Zelda pulls out a small stationary box and pen before we go inside the stable. We sit at the little table and she tells me she has a lot to write, so it might take a while. I tell her that's fine and she writes a lengthy letter on the blue paper in neat squiggly writing. I don't try to read it, as it's not my business what she wants to say to Tetra.

Zelda stops writing and says I should write a letter to Purah or Aryll. I say that she can just do that, but she gives me a hard look.

"It would mean more to them if you sent one. Besides, who knows what I'd say about you." She says, smirking and holding out a piece of paper and a pen to me. I take them.

"What would you say?" I ask, amused.

She puts her finger to her chin and thinks briefly. "I'd say that you were kissing your ex, which I'm sure both Purah and Aryll would enjoy finding out, since I assume they know her. I can just picture Purah's reaction to that and what she will say. Aryll is convinced that we, you and I, are actually together, so I imagine she'd be mad that you kissed another girl." She laughs. "Either way, your sisters will have a lot of teasing to do when they see us next."

I pick up on the "us" when she says that sentence. It stands out, like we are going to stay at each other's side for a long time, which I like the sound of. As I think of that, Zelda keeps going on with things she could tell them and a few of her ideas I don't mind, but some I do. I cut her off from rambling on a couple more sentences of bad things she starts making up.

"Okay, I'll write it." I say, picking up the pen up and starting to write. It doesn't really matter, but I'd like my sisters not to know what happened with Agitha, considering the chewing out I got over breaking up with her since Aryll and Paya are still friends with her. I write about the castle tours, which I know everyone will be jealous of, Aryll especially, since we used to sit on the viewpoint in Kakariko and dream up ideas out loud on what the castle would be like. Both letters, I have to write two with Purah is in Hateno, say pretty much the same thing in short versions. I'm sure Purah will be more thrilled to hear from me, since I never write to her, since she was so insistent about it that she said it twice before we split ways by Rusl's cabin. We put our letters in the mailbox next to the stable counter window, paying the man behind the counter for the postage before we leave the stable.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

A mile or so down the road, Link dismounts Epona and starts running. I look at him with a confused expression and I have to ask. "Why are you running?

"I like it. I actually prefer to run over riding all the time. Riding a horse can be quite painful if you do it enough, which I'm sure you know."

"I usually just stop and rest for a while when I get sore, or just walk alongside Starlett."

Link asks me what I like to do to pass the time. I tell him that sometimes I like to board my horse at different stables for a couple of hours and go on long walks and go to places I can't take her, like up steep hills and mountains with narrow ledges. Sometimes I take naps in the shade under trees both on accident and on purpose watching the clouds go by in the sky. At dusk, I like to find the tallest hill and watch the sunset, every evening. Sometimes I wish I could capture the views I see in a permanent image, and I've tried drawing and painting a couple of times, but my hands aren't meant for art. I like to stop at stables and stay there for a while sometimes too, as I meet a lot of cool people. I've visited a few stables that had bookcases as well with a variety of reading material. I'm known for spending hours sitting outside stables consumed in a book. I've always loved to read and learn new things.

I also mention that I like to sing, really loud, since usually I have nobody to annoy. Link tells me that I'm welcome to sing any time I want and I blush, remembering him telling me he liked my singing and that he heard me outside that tiny abandoned cabin. I still can't believe he was actually awake. I was sure I heard him snoring just before I tiptoed outside. I look down at him with a skeptical look that he doesn't see as he's looking straight ahead. I remember looking around as I sang on stage in the Bearded Duck, the tavern; I was so scared and nervous up there on the stage, but, when I saw Link, watching me with his head on his hand, I calmed down because he looked so tranquil and I just knew he was enjoying my voice. To know that he was enjoying my singing, well, it made me feel so warm inside that I wasn't scared anymore to be singing with so many eyes on me. By the way, I really didn't get on that stage for him, I just wanted to sing.

I look down at Link running between our horses as he has been, and I can't stop the smile that comes to my lips. I know I'll certainly keep singing on the road if he likes to listen. I realize that I stopped talking a while ago, so I ask Link if he sings and he says I wouldn't want to hear him, he's pretty bad. That only makes me interested and I beg him to sing me something, but he won't do it. My shoulders sag as I run my fingers through Starlett's mane. I notice that Epona is just following him, as if he were leading her reins, but his hands are empty and at his sides. The small revelation makes me smile and it tells me he really does have a strong bond with his horse. I doubt that Starlett would do that for me, but perhaps Link trained Epona to do it. I think about this way more than I should but, as my mom used to tell me, I have always been the overthinking, curious type.

"Wanna go there?" Link asks, pointing straight ahead of us.

When I see the only place he could possibly be referring to I grin.

"Sure."


	20. The Great Plateau

Chapter 20

The Great Plateau

Zelda's PoV

One of the coolest things about getting onto the Great Plateau, along with the giant zig-zag staircase on the side, with the tall safety fences, is the Horse Lift. The last time I came here, I didn't have Starlett with me, so this will be the first time she gets to experience it too. The Horse Lift is a giant platform connected to a giant rail with chains on both sides that lock into on the flattest and smoothest wall of the Plateau, which I'm sure had to be leveled out by hand or machine. What we do is: walk our horses onto the metal cage platform, secure them each with ropes on one of the three poles with metal loops at the top, and then the man running the lift closes the gates and locks them. The whole thing is lifted by a machine system that when activated by a lever, it "lifts" the platform up into the air slowly all the way to the top. Way up there, another man takes our horses out and puts them in a temporary fence-in till we reach the top of the stairs and go over and retrieve them.

The Horse Lift was created by the Gorons and the Sheikah together, based on the mining and transportation lifts used in Eldin and a couple of other places in Hyrule. I read once in a book that it took years and years of planning and research to make it work, as it's a much, much larger version in scale of the others. All in all, it was an incredible idea and one of the most brilliant ones anyone has ever come up with in my opinion. Being able to take your horses with you on your visit to the Great Plateau is an incredible convenience.

We have to pay ten rupees each to use the lift and this time I'm quicker to pay for myself than Link is. I feel satisfaction that he didn't get to pay for me. We stand at the bottom of the stairs and look up and I dread climbing them before we take our first step. We start the long climb to the top of the plateau.

"Have you ever taken Epona up there?" I ask Link, pointing above us, and watching the Horse-Lift raise up the wall as the flight of stairs we currently climb faces that direction. I've only seen it in action one other time, and I am just as impressed this time around. I wonder what it's like for the horses riding inside it. I imagine it probably freaks them out a bit to see the world stretching out below them, not to mention the noise the lift makes. I bite my lip with worry. I hope Starlett's okay.

"A couple of times."

When we get to the top, I am exhausted, and I lean forward with my hands on my knees as I catch my breath. My head is pounding and my throat is dry as sand. After standing there for a minute or two, Link and I walk over to where our horses have been unloaded. The Horse-Lift is lowering to the ground below now with a heavy, low clunk-grating noise. An older lady stands by the small fence pen they are in, next to a small table. She pours water into two cups and holds them out to us. I don't realize just how lightheaded and thirsty I am until then.

"Hello there! Welcome to the Great Plateau. My name is Henya. Drink up! We wouldn't want either of you to pass out from exhaustion or heatstroke now, would we?" She says grinning, squeezing her wrinkled eyes shut. Link and I thank her gratefully before taking the cups and drinking them. Link downs him entire cup in one go, and the Henya asks him if he wants more, chuckling. He says "Yes, please" and Henya refills his cup and then mine as well when I've emptied it. We thank her again before walking over to where our horses are and retrieving them from the small fence pen.

We stand below a huge, circular structure with an uneven stone grate on it going all the way up. Platforms sit every ten feet, circling the tower almost to the top. I crane my head, looking up at it in wonder even if I've seen it before; The Great Plateau Tower. I've seen three other towers like this in Hyrule: in Faron, Hateno, and Central. People say they are historic landmarks of the "calamity" which serve as existing proof that it actually did happen. Looking at this tower, I want to believe that the entire world was in ruins at some part in the ancient past, but I still have trouble wrapping my head around it. Still, the more things I see, hear, and learn, the less doubt I have about it.

Tetra and I actually climbed this tower when we came to Central with my dad, and it was beyond words. I'm sure Link will climb up there with me later. I'd ask if him he wants to now, but I'm exhausted from climbing so many stairs to get up here on the plateau, and judging on how Link looks now, he's probably tired as well.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

We retrieve our horses from the man at the top of the Horse Lift and then sit down in the grass against the wall nearby, which runs around the perimeter of the plateau and provides a good amount of shade. We are both relieved to have somewhere cool to rest. My legs are burning from running beside Zelda and our horses and then climbing all those stairs. It was a bad decision to do both consecutively. I should have rested at the bottom before we came up. I'm used to running so much, but climbing up two hundred steps after running a mile or two was not one of my best ideas. I feel like a nap would be great right now, but it's way too hot outside as I feel like I'm melting even in the shade.

I move away from the wall anyway and lay in the lush green grass with my eyes closed, enjoying the surprising coolness of a breeze that cuts through the summer air. Zelda starts to hum as we sit there, the melody familiar somehow, like I've heard it before. I ask her if there are words to that song and, if so, if she'll sing it. Zelda says okay and then clears her throat before she starts to sing. I peek my eyes open to see her leaning her head back against the wall with her eyes closed. I recognize the song after several lines; it's the one she sang in the tavern, and the tones of her voice are just as relaxing to my ears as the first time.

"You really have a born gift. If you wanted, you could become a singer. I'm sure that people would listen to your voice on Sheikah radio all around Hyrule." I say when her song is over.

"I'm not that good. Thanks, though." Zelda says

"You're welcome. Feel free to sing anytime."

"Will do." She says, grinning.

I stand up and stretch before Zelda tells me she wants to go over to the famous Temple of Time, so we ride our horses that way. We go along the wide stone pathway that leads up to the temple, the old wide steps are no problem for our horses to ascend since they follow the slight uptake of the shallow hill. There are several houses and some old buildings made of the same stones as the temple is, and a couple of those have been made into homes. Once the stairs get steeper, we can't bring our horses any higher, but we meet a man who says he'll watch over them for us. I tell Zelda it's alright, as I've met him before, and we leave our horses with him for the time being.

At the top of the stone steps, we walk through the door and into the temple. Tall windows line the walls, letting in natural light with thin boards crossed over the old glass that is cracked in a few places from age. The floor is half-covered with moss, but it only adds to the serene old beauty of the place. The ancient goddess statue on the dais, sitting at opposite side if the temple, has lost most of its details over the years.

The ceiling of the temple has a similar design to that of the hallway in Hyrule Castle and the inside of the Cathedral, with open beams. The entire left side of the temple has been entirely rebuilt, as it doesn't match the original architecture, but it's really not too bad looking as it's a good rendition of the original right side. Time and weather have worn down the original side of the roof, and there are patched spots where holes clearly have developed. With all the damage and crumbling this temple shows, it's a wonder it's still standing at all. I assume the only reason it hasn't been torn down is because it is one of Hyrule's oldest historical landmarks.

Zelda walks up the steps and holds her hand out to the statue, running her fingers across the moss covering the old stone. "It's a shame someone hasn't cleaned this off. This statue should be kept in nicer condition."

"I think the reason nobody has done so is to preserve the statue. Most of the things in here are original and fragile and may crack or break if they are not careful. I met an old man who said he was the caretaker of this temple last time I was here. I wonder if he still around."

"Be careful who you call old." A voice says behind us, suddenly, and we both jump and spin on our feet, Zelda letting out a squeak. The man I just mentioned stands there, I laugh at his timing.

"Just kidding, Link. I know I'm a wrinkly old geezer. You're right, actually, about why we do not clean the statue. It's ancient and sacred to this temple, we wouldn't want to tarnish it." He says, walking up the stairs slowly. The man holds his hand out in the air between him and Zelda.

"Hello, miss. I'm Rauru."

"My name's Zelda. It's nice to meet you." She says, taking Rauru's hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect. Of course you take care of things around here as well as you can."

Rauru laughs scratchily. "No problem. Honestly, I'm not able to do much around here, but I clean off these railings and keep watch over this temple. I know quite a lot about the history of this place if you would like to know anything about it."

Zelda asks if the temple is really as old as they say it is, and Rauru says that it is at least a thousand years old from what today's historians and researchers know. Not many records have been found from longer than that containing information. It is a theory that this temple existed back in the times of the Great Calamity, but even if it didn't, it's still a place that many different types of people treasure.

Rauru says he's got some stew cooking up at this cabin and asks if we'd like to join him for an early dinner as it will be ready soon.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, miss Zelda. I always make too much and, besides, everyone knows a meal is always more enjoyable with company."

Zelda and I go back to retrieve our horses before meeting Rauru at his log home. We all sit near his cooking pot outside, Zelda and I on a log bench, as he takes his seat in a chair after we each have a bowl. The stew is great, the recipe the man has perfected makes the broth savory to the tongue. As we eat, we enjoy listening to Rauru tell old historic tales that we both become engrossed in. The man is quite the story teller and he's filled to the brim with answers to the many questions we both ask him. Just before we leave, he recommends visiting Plateau Town.

"Make sure to pick up a bottle of Henya's spiced apple wine; it's the some of the best I've ever tasted. She'll also give you a half price deal on a bottle if you bring her some baked apples." Rauru says.

x.x.x

We leave our horses by Rauru's cabin before we cross the wooden bridge connecting the sheer cliff gap between the field right in front of his home and below Mount Hylia. I look up and the idea of standing up on the top of the mountain fills me. While Zelda wanders off to the left, I search the cliff for hand holds and a good path to take before I grab a hold of the rough rocks and start climbing. The rock feels familiar beneath my finger tips and I scale the mountain quickly, not leaving any time for potential errors to strike me some disaster. If I keep moving, I'll never fall. At least, that's my motto for climbing steep mountains. I'm about a quarter of the way to the top when I hear Zelda shout.

"Link! Are you crazy?!"

I laugh as I keep climbing and shout back, keeping my eyes on the wall as I answer. "Maybe!"

When I reach the top, I lay on my back for thirty seconds before I stand up and look down at Zelda, who looks between shocked and awed. I spread my arms out and shout out a war cry of victory for making it to the top safely, and I hear Zelda laughing far below me.

"Gonna join me up here?" I yell down to her.

"Is there another way up? I can't climb like that!"

"Probably, but you might need to walk a mile or two."

I stand with the wind blowing through my hair and clothes, cooling off my skin as my heartbeat slows down from the thrill of a perilous climb. I'll admit it, I like to live on the dangerous and risky side. You got to have a little bit of insanity to you to live life to the fullest. I take in the view of the eastern half of the plateau from my vantage point, breathing in the hot summer air.

"How are you going to get down?" Zelda calls to me.

"The same way I came up, plus or minus a couple things."

I stand there on Mount Hylia for a couple more minutes before I lay on my stomach and look down to get a good view of below me, judging the best way to climb back down safely. I look at the couple of ledges jutting out from the mountain face, which I stopped briefly on a few of them on the way up, and decide climbing back down over them the same way is my best option. If I were to fall - which won't happen, I've never fallen - it would be a distance of at most twenty feet to each ledge. I might get injured, but I'd live. I stand up and turn around and find good handholds before walking my feet, slowly back and over the side of the mountain, and start descending; my heart beating in my ears. These first few steps down are always the most terrifying part. I swallow down the fear and slowly make my way down, judging every movement with quick checks of footing and and grip. I stand on each ledge for a minute before moving on. When I am on the last ledge, I look down at Zelda, who has her eyes glued to me, and her face is holding an expression of shock, awe, and worry, all at the same time.

"You are a daredevil, aren't you?" She says.

I shrug, putting my palms up in the air. "I guess you can call me that."

I climb down the last fifteen feet of mountainside and stand before her. Zelda crosses her arms over her chest and purses her lips. "I promised your family I'd stop you from making stupid decisions and pulling dangerous stunts, like that. Impa told me you are notorious for climbing things, but I didn't think you were insane."

"You gotta be a little insane to live life to the fullest, it's not-"

"Link, don't climb like that in front of me okay? It was awesome, I'll admit that, but what if something goes wrong on your next suicidal climb? I don't want to be standing at the bottom to see you fall and break yourself. Actually, please don't climb cliffs like that. I also, and especially, don't want to have to deliver news to your family about how you tragically fell to your death, not to mention the emotional trauma that would inflict upon me."

I stare at her after she's done speaking. Zelda holds my eyes with her viridian ones intensely, her voice was tight as she spoke every word. She's serious and I just know she's going to get mad if I refuse to do what she just requested.

I love climbing cliffs, the idea if quitting it fills me with dread...but I'm willing to stop if it bothers her so bad.

"Alright Zel."

"Please promise me you won't. I care about you."

Her eyes are softer as she says that and I think I see something else in them I can't quite name. I wasn't aware she cared that much for me. I sigh, not wanting to speak the two words that will cut off one of my favorite things to do as an adventurer.

"I promise."

x.x.x

At the bottom of the mountain I just scaled, we stand on a narrow path that leads around the side of the mountain. Zelda walks before me, her blonde ponytail bouncing with her every step. She stops in front of a rock structure that's too small to be a cave and too shallow to be considered any bit of shelter if it were needed. She steps closer to it and puts her fingers to her chin while looking around.

Names. At least a hundred of them are carved into the walls at random intervals of different sizes and different strokes. I recognize a couple of them: Sidon. Rauru. Mipha. Rusl. Agitha. Purah - with a heart next to the "P." I wonder when she came here. I suspect it must be her anyway, considering she's the only girl I've ever met to have that name.

"Want to add ours?" Zelda asks.

"Sure." I say.

She pulls her small knife from the leather holder on her right thigh, the one I've noticed she always has with her no matter what. She even wore it the entire time we were in Castle Town and Kakariko Village. I remember her pressing that same knife to my throat right after we "met", after the Hateno archery contest. I wonder if it has some sort of sentimental value to her or if she just wears it as a precaution, so I ask her. Zelda simply says her dad gave it to her before she left and made her promise to always carry it, so she always does. She steps up to the wall near where Purah put her name and starts digging into the smooth rock and slowly carving her name. She hands her knife to me when she's done and I write my name right next to hers. Zelda traces the letters of both of our names with her finger before turning with a grin on her face. We are about to leave the rock wall when Zelda lets out a gasp as she sees a name and puts her pointer finger to it.

Rhoam.

The name looks like it's been there forever, the letters fading like many of the others. I ask her who that name belongs to.

"My dad. He never told me about this. I wonder when he wrote it. It must have been a long time ago because I've never been here with him. Well, I've been up here on the Great Plateau with my dad, but not "here in front if this wall" where we are. He must have done it when I was really little or before I was born. Either way, this is really cool."

x.x.x

We retrieve our horses from outside Rauru's cabin and ride across the open clearing and uphill, past a pond almost completely surrounded by small hills and ledges, which sits right below the Temple of Time. Patches of old stone walkway lay here and there as we walk our horses along to the top, where we find a cave entrance at the foot of the mountain ahead of us. Zelda says she wants to go in, so we dismount our horses and walk inside. A minute later, we walk into a room at the end of the tunnel that is lit up in the dim blue light that all Sheikah technology glows with. I've been in here before so it doesn't surprise me to see what we find inside.

The room itself has an oval shape and is adorned only by the traditional Sheikah patterns on the wall. The room is empty, except for a round pedestal close to the entrance, which has a rectangular hole in it, apparently to fit some device and a huge basin at its center, which, in my opinion, looks like a bathtub. The dim blue light comes from a huge – really, huge! - round metal chandelier-like thing hanging all the way down from the ceiling, right on top of the basin. Well, actually "hanging" is not the correct word for it, as it seems more like the chandelier is growing out of the ceiling, in intricate patterns, making it look like the roots of an upside-down tree. The blue light is coming from all around these "roots", giving the room an eerie and mystical atmosphere.

"What is it?" Zelda says.

"It's the ancient medical restoring bed where the hero of the Great Calamity rested in for a hundred years, before he started his legendary quest to save Hyrule. The Sheikah saved him by placing him here."

"How did that save him?"

"Impa told me that this is the "Shrine of Resurrection," a very, very old medical facility built by the ancient Sheikah. She said that her grandmother once told her that there was once magical water that rested in this basin that had special restoration properties that, when used with some sort of "stasis",- I don't know what that means and neither did Impa when she explained it - could heal someone from the brink of death. The ancient Sheikah are said to have had technology far more advanced than we can even imagine. This place is proof of the Calamity that you don't believe in."

"I didn't say that. I said that it's unlikely..." She says, sounding unsure of herself. I know for a fact she never said those words, but I let it go. "But, I believe that this place is what you say it is. I mean, I can't deny it when I am looking right at the facts."

"There is proof if you know where to look for it."

Zelda looks at me and then her eyebrows scrunch together. "You said that before." She grumbles.

"I sure did, at the hot spring in Kakariko. I told you."

"You couldn't sound more smug if you tried." Zelda says. I watch her look over the restoration bed again, half circling it, running her fingers along the strange metal roof thing above the bed part, looking up curiously and somewhat judgingly of the tree looking half of it.

"It is the strangest looking invention ever."

I have to agree with her, the design is very weird.

x.x.x

We ride our horses through the Forest of Spirits, which I've heard it's called. It's just like any other forest I have ever been through, so I don't know why people talk about it as if it were some magical place. Faint trails go off from the faded and overgrown six-foot wide dirt path that leads through the woods. Zelda tells me all about her love for nature, like she has before, but I don't mind listening to her speak with a sweet, passionate voice. It's in her eyes when she talks, the admiration for beauty, and it just brings her own out so much more. Damn, this girl makes me so god-damned sappy.

We ride past a random cooking pot that's been placed close to a rough looking stone archway that might have been part of a house at some point in time, but there's no way to know. Zelda stops her horse abruptly when we pass by the giant hollow tree that's decayed so much that we can see the sky through the cracked opening in the top.

"Whoa...I had no idea trees could be this big. Is this one tree?" Zelda says, looking over her shoulder.

I shrug as I turn Epona the way that Zelda is walking with Starlett, between the walls of the ancient tree. I dismount my horse and reach inside my left saddlebag to find the rope that I have with a claw shaped piece of metal on it. I tell Zelda to stay back a minute as I throw it up and latch the hook part to a thick branch sticking out. I tug firmly on it before I start to climb humongous, twisted tree trunk. I judge the giant empty log we just walked through to have been part of this specific tree at some point, considering how it's now just a giant twenty-feet-wide stump, thirty-feet vertical.

Zelda's looking up when I reach the top of the tree and look down at her. I tell her to come on up, as she should be able to climb the tree just how I did: holding onto the rope and walking up it with my feet.

"If I fall, you better find me some good medical aid." She says, dismounting her horse and walking up the rope and taking hold of it. "I don't know that I can make it, and even if I do, I don't know how I'll make it back down alive."

"I believe in you." I say.

It takes her a minute to find out how to keep pressure on the tree with her feet while pulling her upper body up with the rope, but she makes her way up slowly, putting all her concentration into walking up the tree. I hold my hand out to her when she reaches the top and pull her over. She thanks me before I step back and tell her to turn around.

"Awesome." She says, looking down at the top of the shell of the tree we just passed through. "I'm glad I climbed up here now."

We stay up on the tree for a couple of minutes looking around. I really do love heights.

"See my obsession with heights now? That promise is a real damper you know. I love to climb."

"I'm not letting you off the hook."

I sigh heavily. "Figured as much. Ready to go back down?"

Zelda bites her lip. "I hope I don't break my neck."

"I'll go first, so you can see how it's done."

She nods and I descend the tree like I came up, then hold the rope still so Zelda can get a hold of it firmly and plant her feet. She shrieks as her fingers slip a little, but she holds tight. I talk her through it, telling her to take it one foot at a time, slowly. I hear her take a deep breath before she moves her right foot and then her left, inching her way back down the tree. About ten feet from the ground, her feet slip off the trunk and she screams gripping the rope and hanging in midair.

"I can't climb down like this." She says loudly, kicking her feet toward the tree, but missing completely. She's too stiff to swing her body enough to make contact.

"Then let go, I'll catch you." I say, and Zelda looks down at me with a wary expression. I nod and hold my arms out. "Trust me, I've got you. I'm ready when you are." I tell her and she nods before closing her eyes and letting go of the rope. She lets out a small scream as she falls and I easily catch her. Her eyes are still squeezed shut when I set her back on her feet.

"T-thanks." Zelda says, moving her bangs out of her eyes and shaking a little.

"Of course. Up for more exploring?"

"Sure. Just let me get my wits back about me." She says and we both laugh as we get back on our horses.

We ride across an open clearing with huge boulders and pass through some sparse trees on the other side before we come up to the edge of this side of the plateau. We turn around and back the way we came, idly just riding through the forest till we are back where we can see Temple of Time again. We cross over, past the small village where I expect Zelda to want to go in, but she doesn't even look that way. She brings her horse over to the southeastern edge of the plateau before stopping and dismounting. She walks over and stands, looking at the Bridge of Hylia over the massive lake, also named after the goddess. She sits down with her feet dangling off the edge.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

When I see the Bridge of Hylia, I stare at it in the distance and feel a longing in my heart. I want to go there. I want to cross that bridge and go to Faron and then go home to Lurelin. I really miss my family, but I can't go home yet, not even to visit. I promised myself that I wouldn't go home until I had seen everything the world has to offer, and I haven't seen much at all. I stop my horse and dismount, walking over to the stone walkway that we have been riding next to in the grass. I hear Link's shoes on the rocky outcropping that I sit on before I look over my shoulder.

"The Bridge of Hylia looks beautiful from here with the sunset behind it." I say.

"I think it always looks majestic."

"The first time I ever crossed it by myself wasn't too long ago, only a month or so. I've been away from my home for a year, but I wasn't kidding when I said I haven't been anywhere. I decided to leave Lurelin soon after I turned eighteen, and I'd never ventured out on my own before. I mean, I'd gone for long walks through Faron Woods, but it was only for just an hour or two. When I left, I meant to just pass through Faron and be on my way, but...I just couldn't. I'd never been on my own before and Faron was familiar. It was where I felt safe. Tetra and I spent a lot of time wandering the forest just above town when we were younger, sometimes going off as far as Floria falls. Mom always worried that something would happen to us when we went that far, but dad always assured her that it was safe. Faron woods really doesn't have much dangerous wildlife, and he believed that I could protect us with my bow."

I pause and smile at the memory of my dad always being there for me, believing I could do anything.

"But, traveling through those woods alone was nothing like I remembered and I felt sad and lonely. For the first couple of weeks, it was terrible for me at night. I'm afraid of the dark like you know, an awful fear to have, all things considered, and I didn't sleep well, so I'd end up stopping often to take naps during the day. I thought being on the road wasn't actually my calling every once in a while, but I never once went home, determined to show my family I wasn't a little girl. I also have far too much pride to break my words to them before I left, that I'd have many stories to tell them when I came back home. So I swallowed down that fear and learned to live on my own. I didn't need anyone, except Starlett of course, whose presence always helped keep me together. I owe so much to my wonderful horse. I don't think I would have made it this far without her. Even if I wasn't technically far from home, and I'd seen some of it before, I never got bored. I never realized just how vast those woods were before. There was so much more to see than I thought, and not just the woods either. I spent so much time on the beaches and near Floria Falls. Meeting travelers down there was my favorite part, and I could answer most of their questions, having practically grown up there. I stayed in stable inns when I could, and that really helped with my absurd fear."

"Being afraid of the dark isn't as bad as you think." Link tells me. "There are worse things to be scared of."

"I guess...but it's crippling. I haven't been afraid at night with you around, though. I guess it helps to be near someone. I thought at first you'd make fun of me or something, but I was clearly wrong." I say staring out at the sunset before us, making the stones of the bridge glow with the reflection of the water. It is seriously a wonderful sight to behold, seeing a sunset from right here. I'm glad I am getting to see it from this point of view.

"What are you afraid of, Link?" I say, looking at him.

"Hmm..something happening to my little sister, getting horribly injured with nobody around I guess. Maybe..."

"Maybe what?" I prod when he cuts off. Link tries to shrug it off, but I purse my lips and stare at him. I want to know what he was going to say.

"Maybe parting ways with you. It's nice to have someone by my side. I like solitary travel on the road, being able to do whatever I want when I want. I miss it sometimes, but I'd miss you more."

I look at him, honestly surprised to hear him say something like that; Something so heartfelt and personal. Link gives me a genuine smile and I feel like everything he does or says is that way but, it touches me more than usual right now. It makes me smile and I feel a warmth in my chest that spreads even to my belly, filling me with happiness. I look back to the sunset water, glowing with reds and oranges, the reflection of the clouds even in the still surface like an impossibly big mirror. I wonder how he can be so great, if it's just some facade or if I'm just blind to seeing him do anything wrong. I guess I only really know the good parts of Link, but I'd like to experience at least one thing that makes him like the the rest of the guys I've met. Maybe his fearlessness that leads to stupidity as in hunting a bear or climbing a dangerous cliff, that could count I guess. I try to think of one time I've heard him say something rude to someone, however, and I can't think of one instance. He wasn't even bitter to his ex-girlfriend.

x.x.x

We decide to make camp in the forest, nearby an old broken archway and a randomly placed cooking pot. It's as good a spot as any, so we unload our horses and I remind Link of the hammocks that we bought in Castle Town; I really want to try them. Luckily, we find four trees that are nearby each other and set on figuring out how it works, since neither of us have ever set up a hammock before. It's not hard obviously, but getting the rope tension right is a small struggle.

We share some deer jerky, sitting in the grass when I randomly remember a sentence Link said yesterday.

"Relax Zel, I've climbed much higher and steeper things than this watchtower."

Oh...you don't say? I think bitterly, looking at Link, who is laying back in the grass, chewing on the dried meat. I picture him climbing the mountain once again, scaling over a hundred feet in the air in only a couple of minutes. The higher he went, the more anxious I became, but I was also in awe. I've never met someone with that type of bravery. Nobody I know would ever have even attempted such a daring task. If that's one of the things Link likes to do for fun...I'm traveling with a crazy person. I saw how much it dejected him when I told him I didn't want him to climb like that anymore, even going as far as to make him promise me, but his safety is much more important to me than hurting his ego or making him mad. I don't have the right to tell him what he can and can't do, but I had to make my thoughts known. It was a relief when agreed with the promise; I just hope he keeps it. I can't bear the idea of something happening to him. I don't know what I'd do if he ended up...dead.

It bothered me when Link climbed the monster tree trunk, but I let him without saying anything, as he used a rope with a rough looking hook on the end to secure his climb. I really didn't think I'd make it when he told me to come up there, but hearing him say he believed I could do it sparked some courage within me and I tried. I could see why he likes to be up high once I got up there, but getting back down was absolutely terrifying even with the rope. I almost lost grip of the rope when my feet slipped off the wall and my body jerked downwards, putting a painful strain on my shoulders and biceps. I had no choice but to trust Link to catch me as I just couldn't get my feet back on the tree and I was becoming overwhelmed with fatigue. I was afraid that he wouldn't actually catch me, but I put my life in his hands anyway. I didn't have time to relish in the fact that he was holding me in his arms when I hit them before he stood me up on the safe ground. I felt a little bit of disappointment at that, even if it is silly and ridiculous.

It's not nearly as dark as I expect it to be when the sun goes all the way down, the bright moon taking it's place. Somehow, the moonlight seems even brighter up here on the Great Plateau, which I can only chalk up to us being closer to the sky. Everything is bathed in a milky glow that feels ethereal and magical, which helps dissipate my fear of the dark. I brush my teeth before we climb into the hammocks we have set up. These ones are a bit different than the one I used in Lurelin, which belonged to my dad. They don't lay flat when you hang them up. They are just large rectangles of reinforced fabric that we can roll up into a small ball and stuff in the bag that they came in, since they are purely designed for travel.

I have issues getting into my hammock, which hangs in a flat oval-ish shape without someone in it. Link holds it open for me eventually as I awkwardly climb inside and settle. It's sort of like being tucked into a bed with how the hammock closes around my body when he lets go of the sides. I put my arms over the open sides, so I can see out and Link climbs into his, making it look easy, which makes me feel a bit incompetent. It's strange being enveloped by the tough fabric of the hammock that is oddly soft to the touch on the inside. The creator clearly put some thought into it when designing them which I am impressed with and thankful for. The necklace I wear around my neck illuminates the inside of my floating bed and I play with the pendant, running my fingers over the smooth stone, marveling once again at how it glows like it does. I wonder if there is a scientific explanation for it; maybe I will meet someone who will know just why it glows. I should have asked Rauru; he seems wise and all knowing, so maybe he'd have answer for me. If I see him tomorrow, I will ask, if I remember.

A little while later, I'm comfortable enough to fall asleep. I lay there with my eyes closed, but my mind is awake. I look back at the luminous stone that I hold in my hand, my arms across my chest, and think of Link. Is he asleep already? I can't stop dreaming up scenarios and they all include him. I imagine what it would be like to be laying in his arms, as the hammock gives me the feeling of being held, since it wraps around my body, and a smile spreads across my lips of its own accord. I think of what he told me as we sat, looking at Hylia Bridge, watching the sunset; how he would miss me if we parted ways. I want to think he feels the same way with that comment, but I don't want to get my hopes up only to become heartbroken. I would miss Link more than I can say. I let go of my necklace and squeeze my arms across my chest to try to suppress the coldness that I feel in my heart at the idea of Link not returning my feelings. I guess we'd still be friends, but I would always want more. I don't know if I could handle that.


	21. Summer Fun

Chapter 21

Summer Fun

Zelda's PoV

I wake up bright and early like always, early bird and all. I struggle getting out of my hammock, sticking my legs out first, trying to push myself up. I end up falling out of it as it flips over when my weight becomes unbalanced. I topple on the ground on my back and hit my head hard as I land, letting out a cry of pain. I roll over and put my hand to the back of my head, pushing myself up on my feet. I hear Link's snoring behind me and I know that I did not have a witness to my clumsy morning accident. I'm glad that he isn't awake right now, as that was something that surely would have been entertaining to watch.

Next to our saddlebags I see my bow and pick it up with my quiver. Before I went to Hateno, I trained every morning, but I've been busy ever since I left with Link. Not one day has been boring and uneventful since. It's been almost a week since I last drew back the string of my brown bow. I see Link's golden feather bow and admire it like every time I see it. I know it's powerful too, as I once tried it without an arrow in The Rusty Horseshoe tavern in Hateno. I still wish that beautiful bow were my own.

I walk off through the forest we're in, listening to birds singing their morning song. I carve a circle into a wide tree with my dad's knife and stand fifty feet back. I take a deep breath before I raise my bow and nock an arrow. The feeling of drawing my bow string back brings me back to what I love about this. The power I can feel between my arms, the feeling of having control over something and knowing it's going to do what I tell it to. I let my arrow fly and it sails through the air with that satisfying whoosh and ends with a thunk in the middle of the circle I drew.

When I was a little girl, I told my dad I wanted to learn how to shoot a bow like he did. My mom had been against it, as I was only five years old, but my dad had luckily been able to convince her that there was no harm in teaching me. Little me had been so excited, and I loved it from the very first time I pulled that tiny bow string back. Everyone had been amazed with me as I quickly showed potential in the skill. I spent every single morning practicing from then on. My dad often told me how proud he was of me for showing such determination, patience, hard work, and love for archery. My dad took me to my first contest when I was eight years old. I didn't participate that year, but I knew I absolutely had to start competing after watching. I wanted everyone to see what I could do. I begged my dad for two years before he agreed, telling me that I was ready to go kick some butt. Luck and skill seemed to be something I was born with, as I won the first contest I ever entered and many after that. I became recognized for my skills at the contests I frequented by the time I was fourteen. Pride always swelled within my chest when I picked up a bow, and it still does.

x.x.x.x.x

Link's PoV

I go to stretch my arms above my head when I wake up, but my arms hit something before I open my eyes. I'm groggily confused for a couple of seconds at the tan fabric surrounding my body before I remember. I get out of the hammock, which is easier than I expect, but it still takes me a minute as I'm not familiar with it. I yawn and stretch out my back, looking around to find Zelda isn't there. I hear a faint repeating sound then, and I walk through the woods to my right and see Zelda standing about a hundred feet away with her bow in hand. I walk her direction, barefoot across the soft green grass, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and stop about twenty feet away. She doesn't notice me there and I watch her for a minute, looking over her perfect form with my eyes trained on the target she's carved into the tree. The scene is dé·jà vu, as I remember waking up and finding her doing the same exact thing behind Dueling Peaks' stable. I also clearly remember seeing her standing on the platform in Hateno then during the archery contest, when all I knew about Zelda was her name. It feels like it's been forever since then with everything that's happened.

As I watch Zelda shoot her bow, things start popping into my mind. Things I've been thinking for a while. I don't pour my heart out to just anyone, I'm usually reserved and don't care to tell anyone anything personal. It takes someone special for me to tell them all the things I ever have told her. When I first met Zelda, I'll be honest, I wanted to be near her just because she was gorgeous and talented. But sitting there in the tavern in Hateno, eating that dinner and the hours after, something changed.

I told her things I would never have shared with any other stranger even that first day. She's got something special about her, and that's only grown the more and more time that I've spent with her. I told her about my parents and how they died, which I never bring up, for instance. She had looked sad right after that, but she turned that conversation around to Aryll and her smile was back, and so was mine. Her positivity and ability to find the best in things even if what we are talking about is sad, to bring my mood up, it's a quality she shows a lot that I really enjoy.

I love how passionate she is about her family, the stories she tells me are full of warmth and she smiles so much talking about her sister. The first time she really caught me was when we were riding our horses on the beach. I'm glad I asked her if she wanted to go for a ride more than anything, because when she told me she felt at home by the ocean instead of feeling sad, she looked so purely happy, and it made my chest feel warm. I wondered how long it had been since she had smiled like that because she didn't smile when we first met, unless it was because of something I said. I was entranced by her that day, sitting on the boulders at the end of the beach and talking about her owl tattoo. I find myself more and more so as time goes on. All she needed to do was smile that morning and she had me. Her laugh and smile pulls on my heart every time. Zelda has something rare you can't find easily, maybe it's also because I find her so attractive that it shows more.

In Kakariko, Impa and my sisters liked Zelda within moments of knowing her, though that was probably due to the fact that I've never brought a girl home and Aryll seems to really like her. Purah had nothing bad to say about her in Hateno either. Usually, if she doesn't like the girls I'm near, she bluntly tells me, or she did when we lived with Impa. She's been cute with kids we've met: Koko, Cottla, and Romani, and I'm sure that that is genuine. When we went walking in the woods above Kakariko, and she took my hand and squeezed it when she was afraid, I liked that I could help her. In the cave on the Lanayru Promenade, she did the same thing until we walked into the cavern with the luminous stone. How she looks to me for comfort in the dark makes me feel special.

When I was deep down that dark place I fall into occasionally, standing in front of my dad's wolf statue in Robred Dropoff north of Rusl's Cabin, I felt better almost immediately when she hugged me tightly. She pulled me out of my depression with a simple hug and her words "you looked like you needed it", showed she's more observant than most people are. She wanted to make me feel better and that, as well as her body pressed up against mine, was beyond words. When she stuck her pointer finger at me when I called her "Zel", she was so cute as she thought about whether or not that nickname was okay. I forgot that I was ever sad sitting under that apple tree with her, telling her stories nobody else had ever heard. She's one of a kind, like I thought to my dad that day, but I didn't know just how true those words were. She finds the best in everything, and her attitude is almost always positive. It's refreshing and makes it enjoyable to be around her.

She blushes when I look at her sometimes. She always has, ever since we shook hands at the Hateno Village archery contest. I don't want to think I know how she feels, but I'm sure she probably feels something or why else would be this shy with me when she isn't around anyone else we meet. I'm usually oblivious to things like that, especially when it comes to girls, but I'm not when it comes to Zelda. It doesn't happen as much as it did when I first met her, though I would often use the smile Purah named "lady killer" in those first couple of days, but she still gets red in the cheeks while we talk occasionally. Zelda is also adorable when she gets flustered; we haven't argued a lot, but it's hard to keep a straight and solid demeanor when I talk to her.

It's a bonus, but she has the voice of an angel. Like I've said before, listening to her sing is something I could hear every day and never get tired of her crystalline voice. I want her to sing all the time at any cost. There was nobody else in the Bearded Duck tavern that night when she opened her mouth on stage, and I laughed when she squeaked into the microphone. Just another little moment that caught me with her brillant smile that lit up the room, something I will never forget. She trusted me in our Cozy Cucco Inn room without hesitation when she was drunk, insisting I sleep next to her on the bed; We had barely known each other a week and I just didn't understand. Perhaps she wasn't completely in her right mind, but I appreciated that she had full, even drunken, confidence and trust in me all the same. I want her to always feel that comfortable around me. I got her the luminous necklace in Castle Town marketplace because she was so amazed by the stones in the cavern on the Lanayru Promenade, but also because they glow in the dark and I was sure she'd like that for her fear of it. I was surprised when she kissed my cheek when she said thank you. I was thinking of kissing her right then and there when Malon...walked out and ruined the moment.

I hated those moments in the stable and Castle Town square. I wanted to shove Agitha away the first time, and I really didn't want to kiss her the second time. It left me with dread. It also left me frozen when Zelda walked by us and I thought I saw something in her eyes even though she didn't look my way. But I could have misread her. She might have just been heading in for the night. But then, the girl behind the counter at the Cozy Cucco said Zelda looked mad when she got back, but she certainly didn't look it when I walked in the room. I hoped that she didn't see me kissing Agitha as I walked in our room, but she teased me about it. It threw me for a loop to say the least. I expected her to actually be mad or something; I would have been more at ease while we stood there. I had to subtly assure her that the kiss meant nothing to me, for myself, even if Zelda doesn't feel what I've started to feel for her. I hope that she got that, because there's nobody else but her who even remotely catches my eye.

I know we've only known each other two weeks, but I was being completely honest when I told her I was afraid of parting ways with her last night. That was an understatement, actually, which I didn't realize till she asked what I was afraid of. Everything I do now, she is part of and I don't want that to stop. The more I'm near Zelda, the more I know I never want to leave her side. Zelda's one of the kindest and sweetest girls I have ever met, she does things to me without trying. There's something real about her that you don't see with most people. She shows who she is with everything she does and she's not afraid to show how she's feeling. Zelda pours her heart out to me like I do to her with personal things and that makes me feel a lot better to know she trusts me like that as well.

She makes me happy in a way I can't even explain. It's just wonderful to be near her, talking and telling stories, adventuring to places I've been before but I see them in a whole new way with her by my side. She's beautiful in so many ways on the inside as well as the outside. I want her to know that. I want to tell her in all the cheesy words and phrases I can come up with as corny as it sounds. I need to stop being a coward. I'm not afraid to hunt bears even when my dad was killed by one, or to risk my life climbing mountains I could die scaling but...I am afraid of Zelda. She's the first woman I have ever been afraid of in this way. I care about what she thinks more than I ever thought I would. I've never fallen for someone so hard in such a short amount of time, which terrifies me, but thrills me at the same time.

I have no idea how long I've been standing there, thinking, as Zelda keeps sailing arrows into the tree, but I hope she hasn't minded me watching her, if she's noticed. I think back to the creeper status I was afraid of her seeing in me while we were riding our horses on Hateno Beach. Hylia, please don't let her be uncomfortable right now if she's noticed me.

"Morning, Zel ." I say.

Zelda looks over her shoulder and lowers her bow. "Morning Link. Did I wake you?"

"Nope, it takes a lot more than the sound of an arrowhead piercing the trunk of a tree to wake me. It's a bit early for target practice, isn't it?"

She shakes her head. "This is actually my normal morning thing. Before I went to Hateno, I trained like this almost every morning. It's actually something I've done since I was a five years old." I find that interesting and it makes sense to me now why she is so good: she's been an archer all her life. She's hardworking and has a lot of self control when it comes to training with weapons. Another thing that we seem to have in common is that type of patience and determination; It's possible to achieve anything. I admire her.

x.x.x

A while later we sit near the cooking pot, where I've made us breakfast. We agree that the hammocks were a good idea as both of us slept well. Zelda says she was glad I was not awake before she was, because she managed to fall out of hers when getting out and smack her head on the ground. She says she wasn't going to tell me that, but it was so funny to her that she needed to.

"I may have a small bump right here." She says. pointing to her head and laughing. "I'm glad you didn't see."

"Are you alright?" I say, laughing, but also sincere for her well being. She nods, taking the last bite of her breakfast. Once we've put the our small fire out and put our stuff away, the day is already starting to get hot and humid. We bring our horses to the nearby lake with lots of large trees for shade so they can drink, and Zelda brings some carrots from her things to feed them. We tie them up on the long ropes we did yesterday, which have plenty of lead for them to walk around and graze. There is no stable atop the Great Plateau, so it's the best we can do for them while we are off doing our own thing.

It's about ten when I look at my watch and I ask Zelda what she wants to do. We discuss a couple more places on the plateau we haven't been to, but I come up with something that sounds better than any of those ideas. I ask her if she wants to go swimming.

"I'd love to go swimming. I'm melting already even in the shade today." Zelda says.

We both grab our swimsuits from our stuff and Zelda walks off into the forest and into the hollow log we passed by yesterday. Since I can't see her, I just strip my clothes off and change right in the middle of our camp. Even if she did come back this way I've got nothing to hide. A couple of minutes later, we stand next to each other, me in my black swim trunks and a shirt and Zelda in her t-shirt and shorts over her swimsuit.

We decide to go to the large pond we passed by right below the Temple of Time, agreeing on it being the best spot we've seen to take a dip. We stand above the pond and I pull off my shirt and kick off my shoes next to where Zelda puts her sandals. When Zelda strips her t-shirt and shorts off and drops them, she's wearing a dark purple two piece bikini. She wraps her long ponytail into a bun and ties it up with the band around her left wrist. My heart rate speeds up as, whether or not I mean to, I get a good look at her, staring, but I can't help it. Her skin is pale except for the light tan of her shoulders, back, and upper chest. My eyes are drawn to her breasts and down her flat belly and over her curvaceous hips and thighs, all the way down her long legs to her toes. The words I was about to say are long forgotten as all I can think about is how beautiful Zelda is from head to toe.

Zel, you really are the most gorgeous woman I've ever met. I think, swallowing to clear my now dry throat.

I look back up to her eyes to see she's not looking at mine, but all over me as well. I see a blush on her cheeks in the sunlight before she looks up at me and gives me a smile.

I turn and walk back ten feet before I take a running jump and leap into the lake. The water is freezing as I break the surface and sink under, opening my eyes and swimming back to the surface. The coolness of the water just feels great then and I see Zelda standing on the shore ten feet above the water before looking down at me.

"Come on in. The water's perfect." I say.

Zelda grins and disappears for a minute before I see her run up and dive into the pond. She shrieks as her head comes up but then she lets out happy sigh.

"Great idea, Link. Today feels like the most boiling hot day of the summer we've had so far. We should have gone swimming before now."

"Agreed."

I float on my back staring at the white clouds above as we enjoy the refreshing water before I hear the warbled shouting of two voices, since my ears are underwater. Two figures suddenly appear at the top of the long ledge, right above the pond we are in, and leap off together right above me. The person on the right almost lands on me, and their body makes a huge splash that goes over my head. I sink and resurface coughing up water. When I catch sight of the first person, whose hair is brightest shade of red-orange I have ever seen, it's a girl with skin so pale it makes her fire colored hair stand out more. She laughs and splashes water toward the second person, a guy who, coincidentally, also has red hair, but his skin is a dark tan shade. He swims over to the multi layered rock structure in the middle of the pond that sits behind me, pulling himself up with ease, then getting to his feet. There's something off about this guy and it's not till I meet his intense yellow eyes a second later that I realize what it is.

He's Gerudo.

At least...I think so. Looking at him, he does look every bit Gerudo as it gets. He's got their tall, thick structure of pure muscle, dark skin, and intimidating presence. The thing is, I've never met a Gerudo man. I've got to be wrong, their entire race is supposed to be female, but then I think that logic is flawed. How could an entire race of people only have female children? Of course there are guys, I've just never met one.

"Dude, what are you staring at?" He says, crossing his thick arms over his chest.

"The person who almost landed their cannonball on my head." I say, not realizing I had been looking at him long enough to count as staring.

The girl that came with him swims up the shore, reaches her hand out, and he pulls her up with one arm as if she has the weight of a feather. She is quite small and thin, though about as tall as Zelda is, but even with her height her Gerudo friend still towers over her by a half a foot. She wears a stud in her nose and a silver ring in her left eyebrow as well as many piercings in her ears. The two of them are the oddest looking pair. I've never seen anyone who looks like her either. I look to Zelda and she shakes her head at me, a matching confused look on her face. I wonder if she's thinking the same things I am.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to notice there was someone in the lake before we jumped in. Name's Groose, and this is-"

The girl interrupts him then.

"I'm Midna. Just like Groose, almost drowning someone we haven't even met. You're lucky he didn't land on you. I'm sure you might have died." She says, sarcastically, then looks at Groose with a smirk.

"Hey. You jumped in at the same time. You couldn't have possibly noticed them till it was too late either."

"Of course I saw these two below us. I'm not blind!" She exclaims, before she turns to us and asks who we are.

Zelda introduces us, gesturing to me with her hand. She swims over and lifts herself up onto the large flat rock, across from one that the other two are standing on, and sits with her feet in the water. The water runs down her body in trails over her curves, and I try not to gawk at her again, as much as I'd like to just stare.

"It's nice to see there are people our age up on the plateau after all. We've just met a bunch of old geezers. I expected a lot more people to be up here, but we haven't ran into anyone exploring the plateau." Midna says, sitting next to Zelda.

"Y'all must have just gotten here, we just passed by here not ten minutes ago. Come to take over our spot?" Groose says.

"Your spot?" Zelda says, raising her eyebrows.

"Just kidding. We got here a couple of days ago, but this pond is the best place we've found to swim."

The four of us enjoy the water for a couple of hours, climbing up on to the tall rock in the center of the pond and doing tricks before Midna gets the idea to see who can do the best dive off the ledge and make the smallest splash, which already gives Groose a disadvantage. I act as the judge for the three of them and it's not even close: Midna is clearly the winner.

We all sit in the shade eventually and the two pairs of us get to know each other a little. Both of them are from Tanagar City in the Tabantha region, which rests deep in the famous canyon up there. I've heard of the place, but I have never been there. Groose is more than willing to tell us about it when Zelda wants to hear more. Homes are built into the walls of the mountains, with staircases built everywhere into the canyon walls for the people who don't live inside the ancient temple, which has been renovated as the city center. He says it's like living partially underground. Midna says that it was a relief when Groose agreed to leave with her to adventure; She always hated it there. Her opinion of it is: it's boring, ugly, and in order to leave, you have to hike to the top of the canyon wall through the maze of staircases, which she says sucks. There's also apparently nothing to do there. I think it sounds incredible and I'd love to see these underground tunnels and staircases. I mark it onto my mental bucket list of places to go.

At noon, we all leave the pond and head to mine and Zelda's camp. Midna says she could go for a meal with some juicy meat for lunch, and when she sees our bows laying on the ground next to our saddlebags, she says one of us should go hunt something. Groose suggests fish and I agree with him, so we take a vote. Zelda sides with fish like I expect her to, since I know she loves seafood, and Midna has to give in. I get nominated to go fishing while they lounge in the shade, saying it's too hot to be walking around. Midna convinces Groose to find us some fresh firewood to start a fire for roasting them, however, so he gets up as I leave camp with Zelda's fishing net. I don't bother to change my clothes as it's hot enough they'll probably dry within the hour. After catching two hyrule bass and three staminoka, I also gather some mushrooms. When I get back, Zelda offers to help me cook, so I leave preparing the fish to her and have her cut the meat into chunks on a flat piece of wood that works as a cutting board. I cut up the mushrooms and we make skewers. We season them with Hyrule Herb and rock salt before we roast them over the fire.

x.x.x

"Zelda, you're so lucky you're traveling with a man who can cook this well. Groose has his moments, but I'm willing to bet you get to eat meals of this caliber a lot." Midna says.

I think it's a bit too much of a praise for simple mushroom-fish skewers, but I'll take the compliment anyway.

"The few meals we have shared have been great, but I haven't had the pleasure of tasting much else he can make. Link and I haven't been traveling together very long." Zelda answers.

Groose walks over and picks up Zelda's sword near our belongings, the one I continuously forget she has. He turns the blade over in his hands. "Which one of yours is this?"

"Mine." Zelda says, a look of annoyance on her face. "You shouldn't touch things that aren't yours." She tells him.

"Sorry. I know it's no excuse, but I was overwhelmed by its beauty. Are you any good at wielding it?"

Zelda grits her teeth and her eyebrows lower, getting mad, which is honestly something new. I've seen her annoyed, like yesterday when she told me off about climbing, but I haven't seen her get angry, now that I think of it. "Of course I am, why else would I have it?" She says, bitterly.

"I've never seen you use it before, Zel." I cut in.

She looks at me and asks me a question I am not expecting with a complete change in demeanor. She sounds excited. "Wanna duel?"

This sparks the attention of both Groose and Midna, the latter of which stops eating mid bite of her skewer. I stare at Zelda and she raises her eyebrows and tilts her head. "Well? Want to or not?" She says when I don't answer her.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it."

"Alright. First to disarm the other wins?"

"Fine by me." She says, standing up and holding her hand out to Groose, who hands her sword by the white hilt. I walk over and grab my dad's - my, since it now belongs to me, which I have trouble grasping the thought of for some reason - sword and we both walk to the clearest part of the forest, the other two following us.

We take stance ten feet from each other and I am surprised by the form Zelda holds her body in as she faces me. She stands light on her toes, ready, as we circle slowly. I remember randomly that Purah told me that Zelda saved her from a drunken idiot by challenging him to a sword duel, but this is different. Anyone could disarm a drunk person like Purah said she did, and I consider myself to be pretty skilled. I wonder how good she will actually do.

"On three?"I ask.

"Sure."

We count to three together, and then Zelda comes right for me without hesitation, but her swing is slow and I am able to easily block. We clang blades several more times and I have no trouble keeping stride; it's almost effortless. I could easily just disarm her like she is, but I don't, holding out and letting her have some fun. I'm about bored and ready to end it when her tactic changes completely and she actually starts showing something else with her swordplay technique. I actually have to try a bit to match her, and then I feel the fun coming on as she's becoming a promising opponent.

"Were you playing around?" I say, as we dance in a circle, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.

"A little, but so are you. I can tell."

I nod and take the next opening I see in her defense and smash my blade into hers, thinking it will be enough to throw her off kilter at least, but Zelda holds strong to her sword and presses back before slipping away, light on her toes.

"Don't go easy on me, Link."

I wonder just how much she is holding back or not. Could she possibly be proficient with a sword like she is with a bow? I doubt it; most people are only excellent with one weapon, unless she has been training in both just as long, like I have. I smirk and then give it my all, determined to end this duel of ours quickly and show her that we are not evenly matched. Zelda holds out a bit longer, slipping from my second attempt to disarm her, and then she takes me by surprise and almost succeeds at doing so to me, before I catch her off guard and her sword flies safely from her grip, landing in the grass to her right. Groose lets out a whoop at my victory and I just then remember that he and Midna were even watching us in the first place.

Zelda's shoulders slump slightly as I give her a smug look, but then she smiles, stepping over to retrieve her weapon.

"That was refreshing. I haven't dueled anyone in forever. I guess I haven't totally lost skill with a sword yet." She says.

Midna walks over to her and clamps her hand on her shoulder. "Zelda, you are a badass. I mean, it was clear I think who was going to win there, no offense, but it was thrilling to watch. You have some skill." She says, smirking. Zelda says thanks, half dejected.

"Agreed. I wasn't expecting that from you." I say. She actually did almost get me that one time, but I don't go as far as to say I am impressed.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

A short while later I ask if anyone would like to get some spiced wine from Plateau Village, remembering randomly that Rauru mentioned it when he said we should visit there. Link and our two new friends say yes, and Link reminds me that we should bring some baked apples for the lady who makes it, as we'll get a half price deal, so Midna and I go searching for an apple tree.

"So..are you and Groose a couple?" I ask her. I get a loud, boisterous laugh in return.

"No." Midna answers at the end of her laugh. "Groose and I are just best friends, really, always have been. We were the outcasts in Tanagar City, being the only Twili kid and male Gerudo."

I have no idea what she means by "Twili", so I ask. Midna explains it's the name of the race of people she's from. I tell her I've never heard of them, which she isn't surprised to hear. "There're not many of us in Hyrule. My parents and I, plus a couple of other family members who live in different parts of the world. There may be other Twili, but I haven't met them."

"Is that your natural hair color?"

"Yeah. Orange hair is in my blood." She says, her lips tilting downward.

"You don't like it?"

Midna shrugs. "I guess it's alright, but it gets me a lot of attention I'd rather not get. My super pale skin doesn't help either."

I can't imagine what it's like to be as different as she is from other people. I think of what she said about being an outcast, and I feel bad for her, but I also find her unique. I love meeting interesting people. I change the conversation to Groose, saying I've never met a Gerudo man and Midna says that there are few. It's just rare that a Gerudo woman has a male child, and when that happens, they can't grow up in Gerudo Town.

"Groose says that he isn't jealous of growing up in the desert however, even if Tanagar City is sort of like it, with no vegetation or anything, but I suppose not nearly as hot. Groose would have hated growing up in the desert anyway, and I don't blame him. That dry sand, the boiling heat, yeah...keep that away from me too."

x.x.x

When Midna and I get back with twenty apples, I dump them out of my backpack and the four of us end up eating most of them as they finish baking to sweet deliciousness, between the four of us, so Groose goes and gets more at Midna's demand since he ate at least six of them. He doesn't want to, but he does what she asks when she puts her hands on her hips and stares at him fiercely. Maybe it's not actually fierce and she just looks that way because of her dark red eyes, but she's a bit intimidating either way. When Groose walks away, Midna spins with the silver loop in her left eyebrow before catching me watching her.

"What?"

"He seems to be afraid of you."

"He should be." She says, smirking.

I laugh. I wasn't expecting that answer from her.

x.x.x

Plateau Village is a small place about the size of Kakariko Village, with only a few grass-covered streets, a shopping center in the west part of town, a restaurant, a few shops, a tavern, and some houses. Music plays from Sheikah radios on different stations, playing both instrumental pieces and today's most popular bands and solo singers from around Hyrule. A few kids run through the streets playing games, smells of food come from open windows, laughter and voices. In the middle of the village sits a small fountain with cushioned benches and tables for hanging out, the fountain giving a peaceful background noise.

We wander around asking people about the woman who makes the spiced wine until we find Henya's house, and the sweet lady greets us warmly. We introduce ourselves, which I realize we never did yesterday. Seriously, my manners are disintegrating.

"Ooh I know that smell, you've got some baked apples. I'm betting that old man told you about my wine, didn't he?"

"He sure did." I say.

"Rauru sends a lot of travelers my way. Come this way dear. I've got a whole shelf full."

We follow Henya into a dark room with several small lanterns hanging from the ceiling, two of them lit. I smell a bittersweet scent lingering in the air. She walks over to the shelves in the corner furthest from the door. She pulls a bottle off the shelf and reads the label. Henya says this one is just ready to be enjoyed and we walk out of the dark room. I pay her fifteen rupees and the bag of baked apples. I thank her.

"Perfect. Thanks sweetheart. I use the apples to help create the sweet flavor. Apples that have been baked work so nicely to get just that right amount of sweetness along with my special blend. If you and your friends enjoy it, I've always got more." Henya says, smiling.

She insists we stay for a little while enjoy her wildberry crepes, which she says will be done baking in a couple of minutes. The flaky treat nearly melts on my tongue and I let out a squeak at how delicious it is. I may even almost put Henya's wildberry crepes on the same par as Uli's apple pie; they are just so delicious that I eat two.

x.x.x

Instead of going back to our camp, Link and I follow Groose and Midna to theirs, which is farther back in the woods where the trees are a little more dense. We walk up a small hill and turn left where there is a little hidden cave with their belongings inside. Midna rummages through a backpack till she pulls out a strange shaped black and red thing, which I learn minute later is a bottle opener. The four of us sit in the shade of the only tree next to their cave before all trying a swig of the wine. It's sweet and delicious so we pass it around while we talk, telling stories of back home where we each live before the bottle is empty. Midna says she has something in her bag that we should try, and Groose says "Really Mid? Bringing out the hard stuff already?"

"Don't be boring, these two need to try it." She tells him. "And we both know you like to get messed up just as much as I do." She says, giving him a "You know I'm right" look.

Midna goes in the cave and comes back with a black bottle in one hand, and a white one in the other with two shot glasses pinched between her fingers. She's also got a little black radio with the handle hooked in her left elbow. "We'll have to share the shot glasses. I've only got two."

She sets everything down in the grass then switches on the radio and turns it up. Since I left Lurelin, I've actually wanted one a Sheikah Radio, but I've never been able to find one. I wish I had looked for one when we were in Castle Town marketplace; I'm sure I could have found one there. Sheikah radios are solar powered and receive transmission from the Sheikah towers throughout Hyrule. Certainly one of the best inventions ever. I really want a radio now. Maybe Link knows where we can buy one. I wonder why he doesn't have one, actually.

Midna calls the liquor in the black bottle 'Not for cuccos,' but the label says 'Sweet Twilight.'

"Don't be fooled by the cute name. This shit's not for the faint of heart." She says, laughing, an evil sounding laugh that I've come to find is her normal one. I laugh too, asking her to give me a shot, which makes Link laugh and then I laugh harder. Groose asks me if I'm sure about this, and I say "Got to be a little insane to live life to the fullest."

Link looks over to me and raises an eyebrow as I quote what he said to me yesterday just before I banned him from cliff climbing. I grin at him. "You're right, you know. I need to loosen up."

"Cheers." Midna says, holding up the two shot glasses and I take one. I hold it up before Groose counts to three and both shoot them down. The foul liquid feels like it literally burns my throat and my vocal cords feel like they've been set on fire. I cough and gag as Midna starts laughing like a manic and Groose hands me a bottle of something he has at his side.

"Shoulda warned ya about that, but I had to give you the full experience. Tip: It burns." He says, grinning. I take a swallow of some sort of delicious sweet tasting liquid, which cools my throat almost instantly, before I laugh and grin back. I ask him what I just drank and Groose tells me it's Honey Milk, which is non-alcoholic and is not really milk so it doesn't go bad. Midna pours two more shots and hands them to the guys.

"Okay. We did it, now let's see you if dudes got the balls." She says, smirking. Link and Groose tilt their chins back after Midna counts out loud. Link coughs as well before laughing and takes the bottle of sweetness right after Groose takes a swig to extinguish his own throat. Germs aren't a thing when it comes to liquor and your throat's on fire, after all. I notice that Midna hasn't washed hers down with the sweet drink and point that out.

"I've had enough of it, it hardly burns anymore, I'm used to it. Besides, y'all are just pansies. A real drinker doesn't need to wash it down."

Groose snickers. "It's a wonder an alcoholic like you can even still talk."

"Shut up." She says, punching him in the shoulder and grinning wickedly. Link and I stick around till the two of them start getting pretty hammered. I stay away from Midna's 'not for cuccos' since I don't feel like getting wrecked today, but I keep sipping the sweet Honey Milk because I like it. My time in the Bearded Duck with Malon was enough liquid courage fun for me this week. Besides, it's more fun to watch Midna and Groose become content with making fools of themselves running around their camp, laughing and talking loudly, drinking themselves into oblivion.

x.x.x

"Where to now?" Link asks as we walk to the pond we left our horses at to check on them.

I purse my lips as I think. It's late afternoon by now, and I look over to the Great Plateau Tower and decide I want to watch the sunset from up there. I ask Link if he has ever done that, and he says no but he has climbed the tower several times.

"Want to climb it now?"

Link says sure, so we make our way over there and stand at the bottom, looking up. I smile and begin to climb the tower, which is easy because the metal grating is the perfect size for grabbing and sticking the toes of your shoes into, and Link follows behind me. After about every ten feet, there are platforms circling the tower that we can rest on before climbing up higher and higher. I have to remind myself that I'm fine a couple times; The height getting to me. Even if I did slip, I'd only fall a short distance to each platform below my feet.

At the top of the tower sits a large, L-shaped, full cushioned outdoor couch that looks big enough for about five people to sit comfortably. It sits under the roof part over the center. A railing about four and a half feet high surrounds the circular outer rim of the Great Plateau tower for safety. I walk over and look toward where the sun is just starting to lower behind the horizon. The breathtaking view we have in all directions leaves me speechless. I've seen it from this height, but I am no less impressed by the beauty of looking down on everything. Death Mountain even looks lower than where we stand, which I am sure can't possibly be true. Actually, I think out of anywhere, that's the one place I am not sure I want to go. Link comes over and stands next to me and puts his hands on the railing.

"I love it up here. The Great Plateau, but also high up on this tower. We'll have to climb the rest of them from here on out, too." I say.

"If we can. Not all of them have so many of these platforms. I mean, I'd be fine, but I don't know about you."

I don't know about me either. I stick my bottom lip out in a pout. "That sucks."

I stand with my hands on the railing and think of when we were swimming earlier. I picture Link pulling off his shirt again, exposing those abs and strong chest of his. His muscles weren't too prominent for me either, but just right. His skin is a lovely tan color that mine is not and probably never will be even if I were to get a good suntan. His shoulders are just as lovely as they were when I noticed through his shirt in the abandoned cabin near Hateno when I got distracted when I was supposed to be changing out of my wet clothes. Oh, goddess, that thought makes me remember what he looked like with the water trailing down his half naked body when he got out of the water earlier. I feel my cheeks warming and I put my elbows on the railing again, putting my palms to them as not to make it obvious that I am trying to cool them down. I felt my body get warm at the sight of him standing in the sunshine at the pond. I wanted to touch him. He was so beautiful, so sexy, hot. It's not enough for him to be this amazing guy, but he's got to have this drool-worthy body too? I bite the inside of my cheek; That same warm feeling enveloping me all over again.

Link stands next to me and I pray to Hylia that my face is not as red as I think it is. I keep my cheeks in my palms till they feel cooler, and I have to not look at Link to will that to happen. I put my left hand on the inside of my right elbow and continue to lean on the railing like that.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

We stare out over the breathtaking view of Hyrule. I love the country we live in; There's a never ending expanse of beauty to be found no matter where you look. I ask Zelda what she is thinking about.

"Death Mountain."

"What about it?"

"It looks terrible. I think I'll pass on going there."

I laugh. "I'm not sure the volcano is somewhere I'd like to venture either."

"Thank Hylia. Because I wouldn't let you."

"Wouldn't let me?" I say, resting my elbows on the railing like Zelda is. "Like how you won't let me climb a cliff?"

"More than that." She says, turning her head my way. "I wouldn't want you to die in any circumstance. I've heard that we Hylians catch fire on Death Mountain." She smirks and I smirk back before she goes back to gazing at the view below us.

I notice as her long golden hair sways in the evening breeze in its ponytail as she leans forward with her cheek in her right palm, her other arm laying flat and holding onto her bent elbow that is resting on top of the metal railing we stand behind. Zelda smiles softly as she looks across the northern part of Hyrule, when the orange, red, and yellow sunset illuminates the sky beyond the horizon. The view she gazes at might be breathtaking and maybe the best in the entire country, but it pales in comparison to how beautiful she looks right now.

"Zelda."

"Yes?" She says, turning her head. I step closer to her and she turns toward me.

As we stand there, I think of how perfect and soft her skin looks. How beautiful her clear blue-green eyes are with the shine of the fading sun. I follow her small narrow nose to her full, light pink lips, which are parted a centimeter. We're inches away and I can feel her breath, see the rise and fall of her chest with every breath Zelda takes. My heart thuds in my chest like it wants to get out. I lean forward with a smile before her eyes shut and press my lips to hers, closing my own. She trembles as I put my hands on her shoulders and I try not to shake myself. Our lips part for a second and our eyes meet before Zelda leans forward and kisses me. I can't stop the smile that comes to my lips as she does. I slowly move my hands down to her waist and slide my right hand around her back, pulling her gently toward me so she takes a step that makes our chests press together as she leans into me. I feel one of her hands on my neck and then in my hair, her other hand on my side. She tastes sweet like the honey milk she was drinking and feels so warm as I wrap my arms around her. Zelda wraps her arms around my neck while we share the most perfect kiss I've ever had.

Eventually, I run out of air to breathe and have to pull back. Zelda sucks in for air as well as our lips part and opens her eyes. I move one of my hands slowly to her face, brushing my thumb against her cheek to move her bangs away from her eye as my fingers move to the sides of her ear and into her hair. I gaze into her deep, viridian eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Zelda. You just become more and more beautiful the more I get to know you."

Zelda giggles before she leans forward and kisses me again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe...I do hope you liked that, finally. C:
> 
> Oh, there's a little reference with Midna's bottle opener, did you catch it? :P


	22. A Heavy Secret

Chapter 22

A Heavy Secret

Zelda's PoV

Link looks down at me as we stand there, hardly a foot apart. He steps forward and then he's so close I can't even think. I mean, we've been this close before, but Link didn't look at me the way he does now.

In his "dazzling" way, the way that melted me before we even spoke. The way that I love. I feel my cheeks warming, but I force myself not to look away. I gaze in his eyes and Link leans forward. My heart races in anticipation as I close my eyes and his lips press against mine. Then the whole world has disappeared and all there is is him. Link. Just Link. I can't believe it. He's kissing me. Link is kissing me! I was thinking and worrying about him not feeling the same way I am just last night and here he is, kissing me on top of the Great Plateau Tower in one of the most romantic settings I can think of. The golden sunset spreading across the sky, high above everything with an indescribable view of maybe half of Hyrule, in a place where we are completely alone. The shock of his lips pressing to mine only lasts a moment before I kiss him back, the dreamy sensation of something so wonderful that it doesn't feel real happening, but it really is, and it's hard to believe, pouring over me like a wave. You know, when the whole world seems to be enveloped in a brighter light because you are so happy, that's what I feel now as I tremble and my heart flutters.

I feel his hand on the small of my back pushing me forward gently, so I step up against him. I put the fingers of my right hand in his hair as we stand there for a seemingly endless second that I never want to let go of. Our lips stick together as he pulls away and I feel my chest tighten in disappointment. I don't want to stop kissing him; I haven't had enough.

I feel Link's fingertips touch my cheek and it's like electricity, I feel a warm tingling feeling that makes me shake. His fingers slide into my hair and the words he says next melt my heart and make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"You're so beautiful, Zelda. You just become more beautiful the more I get to know you."

I giggle and kiss him, needing his lips against mine again. We stand there in another long kiss, taking small breaths in-between, becoming lost in each other again. Eventually, he pulls away and I lean forward to bridge the gap between our lips, but I don't reach his and I hear Link laugh quietly. I hold back the urge to whine and open my eyes to see he's leaned back and his beautiful eyes are open. "Slow down, Zel. We've got all the time in the world." He says, quietly.

"You should have kissed me days ago." I whisper.

Link laughs and rests his forehead to mine. "You could have kissed me too if that's what you wanted."

My face flushes and I press my cheek to his to hide it, closing my eyes as Link's arms tighten around me and my heart races in my chest even quicker. I move my arms down and wrap them around his torso, and I can feel the firmness of his body against mine. I run my fingers along his back and smile, feeling taut muscle there and liking how he feels under my fingertips. I move my head under his chin and to his neck, enjoying the warmth of his skin against my face. I feel his hands moving along my sides, before sliding around to my back and pressing his palms flat there. My whole body goes warm from his firm but gentle touch. It's better than I imagined to be right up against him like this, feeling everything I dreamed of when I slept. Yes, I admit it, Link might have popped up into one or two of my dreams lately. I enjoy standing wrapped in his arms as the seconds tick by and the sky gets darker.

x.x.x

The sun has long past gone down as we half lay, half sit together on the cushioned seating atop the tower. I lean up against Link's side with my arms rested loosely around his neck. I play with his thick hair, which I've released from the tie he keeps it back with, as we kiss again. I twist my fingers in it like I fantasized doing only a couple of days ago. I didn't think that that fantasy would come true so soon, and I am so giddy that I can't stop smiling. He returns my kisses and gives me that dazzling smile that he's flashed at me countless times between them, making my heart flutter in my chest and making me smile so much my cheeks hurt.

I've been so blind; how could I not figure out he's been flirting with me day in and day out all this time? It's obvious now, I can only pick like…a hundred different moments that probably clearly were. It feels so wonderful to be this close to Link, something I was afraid of just earlier today. I feel like I should have understood he felt the same way, but I just didn't want to give myself that much hope.

We don't talk as we cuddle there on the cushions that are actually quite comfy, being lovebirds up in our own little dreamworld. At least, that's how I feel right now with Link's arms around me, his soft lips pressing against mine. He's a wonderful kisser, which I am glad for, and I just want more and more. Luckily, I get the feeling I'll be able to have all the kisses and hugs I want. As I move my fingers forward toward his ears, I feel something odd under my right hand, beneath his hair. I run my fingers over the squishy-soft bumps that I can feel on the side of his head that are an inch apart, confused, but then I remember: Link has scars on the side of his head from when he was almost killed by a bear when he was eight. Aryll filled me in on the story, giving me details as she cried. I stop rubbing my fingers against his scars and lift my hand away from his head, because he might not like that I'm touching them.

"I forgot about your scars...we didn't talk about that. I probably wouldn't know what happened to you if your sister hadn't told me what happened, would I? I never noticed before we went to Kakariko."

"Sorry, I don't like to talk about it. Most people don't notice, so I'm not surprised you didn't. I do keep that scar well hidden for a reason."

"Do you care...if I touch and look at your scarred ear?"

"Not at all, Zel."

The moonlight makes it bright enough to see clearly up on the tower, and I'm still amazed by how well I can see at night on the Great Plateau, not mention the full moon in the clear, cloudless sky which probably helps a lot. There are a few solar lanterns up here too, but the light really mostly comes from the moon since they don't work very well. I lean my head to the right and lift his hair up so I can see his left ear. It's a bit more awful than I thought it'd be: the inner half of Link's ear is a ruined mess of skin tissue when I, hesitantly, put my fingers on it. It looks like his ear was practically almost ripped from his head, as everywhere his ear touches that side of his head is ruined flesh that was probably sewn back crudely and quickly. I imagine what it looked like years ago and I feel sick to my stomach. I run my fingers across the entirety of it and glance back at him and Link is giving me a look of amusement. I force a smile on my lips.

"It's gross, huh?"

I laugh. "Yeah. But it's sort of cool too."

"You don't have to lie. I know it's hideous."

"That doesn't mean it's not interesting looking. It's a great…" I trail off, not knowing a good way to finish that sentence; there aren't any good options. I feel stupid for saying it.

"Reminder of what being an idiot is." Link supplies. "But I still am one. I mean, getting mutilated by a bear and then hunting one...I don't think you can get much more retarded. I mean, my dad was killed by one and I could still go out and do something that stupid. There's gotta be something in my mind that's not right."

My lips drop into a line as I stare at him, annoyed, and a little sad on the inside that's how he feels. I also feel terrible for bringing this up now. "Don't say that. You know better now, don't you?"

"I think." Link says warily. He sounds so unsure that I can't be mad that he is talking so grimly.

I hug him tightly. "Well, even if you don't, I'll set you straight. You can count on that."

Link squeezes me in his arms. "Glad to hear it."

x.x.x

We spend the night on top of the tower; Link falling asleep before I do even I am the first person to yawn. Link is laying back against the huge couch we're on, and I am half laying on him. I rest my head on his chest after I get more comfortable, not worried about him drooling or something since I'm not in range of his slightly parted lips. He's not snoring like he usually is, not that it would bother me because, for some reason, even if I hate the sound of snoring, his don't bother me. Maybe because it's usually really quiet and even, repetitive to a point that isn't irksome if that even makes sense, I don't know. I watch him doze, admiring his handsome and peaceful face, before I fall asleep to the even rising and falling of his chest and the thump-thumping of his heart.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

I wake up in the middle of the night and Zelda is asleep on my chest. I smile and wrap my arms around her, the warmth of her body warming me. The night has become a bit chilly up here on the Great Plateau Tower, but I can hardly feel it as I am too distracted by Zelda. It was terrifying to take that first step, but it was easy as soon as she turned to me and smiled and I knew I had nothing to be afraid of. We stood there kissing for quite a while under the moonlight, my heart pounding in my chest the whole time. Feeling the softness of her body under my hands and seeing her incredible beauty inches away. It's a completely different experience than just being close to her. I love how she feels, how her hands and body feel on me, how her supple lips feel pressing against mine. If dancing with her in Kakariko felt like a dream, I don't know how to describe being with Zelda now.

She's so wonderful. Assuring me that she would "set me straight" instead of getting upset that I said something so depressing when we talked about my scars, which isn't like me.

As I gaze at her peaceful, sleeping face, I'm reminded of something that happened the last night we were in Castle Town. I woke up that night to Zelda with her arm across my chest. I was surprised to see her so close, but I'm almost sure that she just rolled over in her sleep. I could feel small puffs of air on my face as she breathed evenly. I'd wanted to touch her, even pull her into my arms then, but I didn't move and just gazed at her for a little before I fell back asleep. I didn't tell her about that, but I might now. I hope that it is for the better; I wouldn't want to lose her somehow. I wrap my arms around Zelda before falling asleep again.

x.x.x

For once, I wake up before Zelda does in the morning. I kiss her forehead and she stirs, her nose and eyes twitching first before she wakes up, stretching her arms out to the sides of my head before she opens her eyes and our noses are an inch from each other. Zelda stares at me wide-eyed before her expression changes and her morning confusion, I think, wears off.

"Good morning." I say, kissing her lips briefly. Zelda giggles and then she blinks sleepily, smiling softly.

"Morning." The word is little more than a breath of air. She brushes her bangs out of her eyes with her right hand before she lays her head back down, her cheek on my shoulder.

"Don't want to get up?" I say, my voice a joking tone.

"Nah...I will just stay right here." Zelda says, wrapping her arms around me till her hands get stuck at my sides.

"Well, I need to get up."

Zelda grumbles and then pushes herself up before sitting next to me on the couch. I don't remember this couch being here last time I climbed the tower. It's possible that it wasn't here since that was about a year ago; a lot of places have changed around Hyrule since I've visited them it seems. I stand up and stretch my hands over my head before walking over to the railing and climbing right over it before doing what I got up to do.

"What are you doing?!" Zelda exclaims behind me. I tell her to relax, I'm not going to fall off the tower, there's still a good two feet of landing to stand on.

"What….Oh my god. Please tell me you aren't..." Zelda says.

"Nature calls." I say, casually, or as casual as one can while taking a leak. Zelda sounds so utterly appalled behind me as she splutters incoherently that I realize just how wrong I am to be doing this. I really didn't think this through. It's one thing to be going off the Great Plateau Tower, and another to be doing it in front of someone else…especially when that person happens to be a woman, who is Zelda...Shit. I should be embarrassed or something, I guess, but when I'm done and zip my shorts back up, I laugh instead; I can't help it."

"I can't believe you!" Zelda shouts at me when I turn back around and climb over the railing once again.

"Sorry, I...wasn't thinking." I say, laughing again.

"Clearly." She says, putting her hands on her hips, her lips in a tight line. But, her straight expression doesn't last more than two seconds before her lips tremble into a smile and she starts laughing too. "You!...I don't...Wow." She cuts in between her laughs. "I hope nobody saw you."

I seriously doubt anyone did, and even if someone had been looking up at the tower just now, it would have looked like I were just standing there like a crazy person. They wouldn't have been able to tell what I was doing unless...I suppose they saw the ground way down there or were close enough to the tower. I smirk before suggesting we climb back down the tower and go back to our camp. I'm starving and I know what I want for breakfast. I ask Zelda how she is at making omelets and she says she's not very good at cooking eggs, which makes me remember when she made them for us at the bridge we camped by a while back and how half of them were...burnt, but I didn't complain then. I say I'll cook instead if she helps me gather some bird eggs and she complies happily.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I couldn't believe he did that right there in front of me! I mean...maybe Link is not shy but, seriously? I couldn't even make a coherent sentence as he stood with his back to me, casually taking a piss off the Great Plateau tower...like it was nothing. Then he starts laughing and I couldn't even act mad before I laughed so hard I could barely talk. Oh goddess, I'm pretty sure that can go on my list of top most crazy and awkward moments ever. I wonder what Tetra would say if I told her that, or his sisters or even Impa.

I start laughing as we walk around the forest gathering breakfast ingredients and Link asks why. I have to take a deep breath before I am able to talk. "I'm thinking of what your sisters, Impa, and Tetra would say about what you just did on top of the tower."

His face goes a little pale and then reddens, which I giggle at because he's cute. "Don't you dare tell them." He says, gravely. I laugh and promise I won't, as long as he doesn't do it again.

"Deal. Never again."

x.x.x.

Link's PoV

She seriously better never mention that. To anyone. I'm sure Impa would skin me alive and I'd never hear the end of it from Aryll, not to mention Purah. It'd be an eternal story of amusement for them.

Thirty minutes later, I season our mushroom omelets with hyrule herb and rock salt. Zelda watches and comments that maybe she'll learn something. She says she knows that she's a terrible cook, which I agree with, honestly, when it comes to eggs, and she laughs. I tell her that I enjoyed that oat mush that she made us by Dueling Peaks' stable though, and she corrects me saying it's called "oatmeal."

As we eat, I remember seeing flyers up for the upcoming weapons competition while we walked through Plateau Village, which is happening close by the Great Plateau soon. I ask Zelda if she wants to go. She doesn't look as excited by the idea as I'm expecting, considering she's told me about the contests she's won. I'd think that the yearly Festival of Warriors, the largest, most popular weapons competition in Hyrule, would be something she'd be looking forward to, but it doesn't seem so.

"Have you gone before?" I ask her.

"A couple of times. I got to attend it two year ago. It was really amazing."

"Do you want to go and enter this year? If you compete, I'm sure you have a chance of becoming the third woman in history to win the Golden Arrow." The most prestigious award you can win in archery.

Zelda hesitates before answering, opening her mouth to speak twice before she finally answers. "I don't know...maybe."

I expected her say something like "yes" or "of course" immediately, to be excited by the most famous archery competition in the world...but Zelda looks the exact opposite. She looks down at her omelet and pokes it with her fork. I almost press it, but she looks uncomfortable. Maybe she already did enter and it didn't go well?

"Are you going to enter?" She asks.

"I wasn't able to make it the past two years, but this year, I'm determined to take the prodigious title and everything that comes with it. I missed out on getting to see Sheik make history by finishing the last round in record time, on top of becoming the second woman in history to win the Golden Arrow."

"Yeah. It was a spectacular show. I've never experienced anything like it."

"I'd love to meet Sheik after last year's Golden Arrow Competition. I've heard she refused to answer any questions the press asked her. She's almost as much of a mystery as Karane is."

"I would love to meet Karane. I watched her become the first woman in history to win the Golden Arrow when I was ten. I've looked up to her ever since. I'm so happy I got to witness such a historical moment. I remember the emcee saying "First woman in history to claim the Golden Arrow!" I couldn't believe it."

With how excited she sounds talking about that, I'm even more confused about how she responded to entering the competition herself.

"I was there too, it was indeed an incredible experience. This is going to sound crazy, but I actually met her after she won."

Zelda's jaw drops and her voice is incredulous as she exclaims her sentence loudly. "You met Karane?"

"I sure did. It was only for a couple of seconds, but I distracted the press at her demand so she could pull her famous "vanishing act." I helped her escape that year."

Zelda's shocked expression turns flat a moment later. Her voice the most disbelieving tone possible before her eyes narrow. "You met the most famous woman in the history of the Golden Arrow? The first woman ever to win in thirty years. Not only that, but you helped her get away from the press that I remember were flanking her and surrounding her with awe? You did not. That's not possible." Zelda says, crossing her arms.

It's not surprising that she doesn't believe me; nobody does. I understand why. The very few people I have ever told this to have called me a liar.

"How do you know?"

"Because..." She trails off, her eyes falling to the grass for a second and her mouth hanging open, like she has no idea how to finish that sentence, before she continues. "Karane won the Golden Arrow when I was ten, which means you were only eleven at most and I doubt you know her personally. She disappeared without a trace right after accepting her first place prize of rupees, her trophy, and her title. Nobody saw her after that, the press didn't even get to question her for any of her information before everyone, myself included, saw her dash off the winners podium without warning and run outside before anyone could catch her. Why would she have had a kid help her?"

"She was desperate. She didn't want anyone to know her. It dumbfounds me really, if she didn't want fame she shouldn't have participated."

"Maybe she wasn't after the fame and just wanted the world to remember her name. Anyway, weren't you watching with everyone else? I don't remember seeing anyone down below the audience balconies, and my eyes were glued to her till she was out of sight."

"I snuck over near the entrance while everyone had their attention on her in the middle of the coliseum. I wanted to make sure I'd be able to meet her when she left."

Zelda stares me in the eyes intensely like she is trying to see inside my soul, which I wouldn't mind, she can explore there. I gaze back at her and smile, which makes her lips dip into a frown.

"You...okay. I'm having a hard time believing you." Zelda says, exasperated.

"Clearly." I say, smirking. Zelda clenches her jaw, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Alright, considering you really were there, and you really did help her, how did you distract the press?"

"I shouted that she ran the opposite way while she hid in the thick bushes by the entrance to the coliseum. They didn't believe me, but, in that moment, I had their attention and she made her get-away. I assume she scaled the cliff right next to the coliseum to vanish from sight, but I don't know, since I wasn't looking."

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

Link's story sounds sort of believable. I decide to accept his crazy explanation of an answer as that last part does make sense. It would have been hard to get away from everyone with that many eyes on her. It makes sense that someone might have helped her and I would have missed it. There was quite a commotion happening from my spot on the second floor of Hyrule Colliseum. I've seen the cliff that he just mentioned; it would be possible for someone to disappear over it, considering they were a skilled enough climber. With the talent Karane displayed that day, I don't doubt her. A woman like that is sure to have more than one trick up her sleeve. Also, maybe a tiny part of the reason I don't want to believe Link is because if he did meet her, I'm incredibly jealous. It's one of my dreams to meet Karane, but I know it will likely never happen.

Like Link said, Karane is the first woman in the history of the Festival of Warriors to win the Golden Arrow Competition. She is just as much of a mystery as Link said. The only time anyone sees her is when she attends the festival, and she doesn't compete. Nobody knows her last name, how old she is, where she's from or anything. I've heard that many people have tried to track her down, but once she leaves the coliseum, she's gone without a trace. People have followed her only to lose track of her. Nobody can figure out how she does it: appear and leave with such superior stealth. That's what Link called her "vanishing act." She even disappeared without a trace right after accepting her first place prize, her trophy, and her title. Nobody saw her after that. The press didn't even get to question her for any of her information. The only thing the world knows about Karane is her name. I've wondered several times if that is her real name at all. It's possible that's half the issue with being able to locate her after all this time. I drop the conversation and stand up, putting my arms above my head to stretch out my back.

I eat the last few bites of my omelet before Link puts his empty plate and fork on the ground beside him, then stands up and stretches his arms over his head, making his shirt lift up and showing off some of those lovely muscles I drooled over when we went swimming. I put my plate on the ground and stand up. I step right up to him, nervous, but also excited since I can now do so whenever I like. I wrap my arms around his waist as he stands there, Link looks at me curiously.

"Hey there." He says.

"Hi." I say, sweetly, before kissing him. I love kissing Link; it's so wonderful. I feel so much freer in my body now that I don't need to hide how I feel about him. It's a huge weight off my chest that probably never really needed to be there. From what he said last night - "You could have kissed me too if that's what you wanted." - I figure my feelings have been returned for at least a small while. Link puts his hands on my hips as he kisses me back, his fingers squeezing a little bit and I feel a warm tremble rising up my torso as I suck in air. We stand there in the shade of the tree above us for a couple more minutes, getting lost in each other before Link pulls back. We hear distant voices coming through the woods to our right, and I sigh. I honestly don't want an audience. It's not that I am embarrassed to be kissing him in front of another person, I'd just rather what we have to be private.

Midna and Groose appear through the trees to our right a couple of seconds later. They are stifling laughter about something and muttering, and by the way they both look at us then look at each other, well, it's obvious what. I choose to ignore them as I pick our dirty breakfast plates off the ground with the rest of our cooking materials and put them by our stuff.

"Morning lovebirds. We're on our way to go swimming if you'd like to come." Midna says.

Link says sure, but I say no. I tell him he should go though, I just kind of want a little time to myself. He looks like he doesn't want to go without me, but Groose puts his arm over his shoulders and says "Come on, let your girl have her peace for a while."

His girl? Oh. Yeah...I guess last night sort of makes me his girl. I have to bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling dreamily at the thought of that in front of everyone.

"Go on, don't let me ruin your fun." I say.

As the three of them walk off, I watch Link until I can't see him anymore. I feel a bit sad that I won't be seeing him without his shirt again right now, but I have other things in my mind that are brewing and starting to take over the happiness that I feel. I'd think nothing could take that over, but that isn't the case.

I decide to go to the lake that's below where Midna and Groose's camp is, where we left our horses for the day yesterday. We haven't checked on them since, now that I think of it. Geez, I'm really beginning to be terrible to Starlett. I grab my bath things since taking a nice long soak sounds wonderful. I also bring the extra rope that I have to hang up my laundry and all of my dirty clothes, and Link's since I figure why not, if I am doing my own. I stuff all of that into my backpack after I empty it, and carry a clean set of clothes and a towel over my arm, and our dirty dishes in my hands. I hope that Link and the other two will be swimming for a good while, since doing all this will certainly take forever.

When I get to the lake, I unload all my stuff into the grass and walk over to my horse and greet her. "Hey Starlett. I am sorry that Link makes me forget about you. I hope that you are doing alright." I say, rubbing her neck with my right hand. My horse lets out a breath of air in my face that smells, and I laugh. "Yeah, I feel that way about me too."

I tie my rope between two trees and then set on washing our clothes while sitting on the edge of the lake. I hold up a pair of his boxers and blush before plunging them under the water. Now I feel kind of strange. I've got no reason to be embarrassed, even if now would be the first time I've actually seen them. I wonder what they look like on him, or what he looks like without them...I laugh at my gutter mind and shake my head. I feel my face going red as that imagery comes to me. There's not much clothes between the two of us, only a couple of shirts, pairs of shorts, socks and underwear each, so it doesn't take me long to finish and hang all our clothes up. I wash our dishes quickly as the sun is beating down on me now, making me sweat buckets.

When I am finally done with all of that, I grab my backpack and walk to the side of the lake where there are large trees casting shade over the water. I decide it's a good spot for a nice, much needed bath. I pull my hair from its ponytail and give it a quick brush through, before putting my shampoo, conditioner, and towel on the edge of the lake. I strip and I happily step into the shallow lake and sit down. I let out a happy sigh as the water feels extremely refreshing. I sink, so my head goes under and then go right to washing my hair. I soak there in the water for a long time afterwards, sitting with my back against the shore and with my legs straight out in front of me. I think I sort of prefer this over swimming right now. It's so peaceful with just the sound a few birds singing somewhere and the comfortable solitary silence.

At least, it's comfortable until I remember why I actually wanted to be alone in the first place. I bend my knees and put my hands on them under the water. Our conversation over breakfast about the Golden Arrow reminded me of something I've been hiding from Link all this time. Something, now that we are together, I feel sick for keeping from him. I need to tell him, but the thing is, I don't want to. The secret I've got is big and it could change the entire way he sees me.

Link caught me off guard. I didn't remember to act normal when he brought up Golden Arrow competition. I wish I could have acted excited, but the truth is I have nothing to be excited over. I used to, but that was before I actually entered last year. I wish I never did, then things could be simple, but they'll never be because I attended the Festival of Warriors and I won the Golden Arrow, becoming the second woman in history to claim it. The very same woman Link mentioned he wanted to meet: Sheik.

If only he knew...I don't know if I can admit it now. After that conversation we had, I'm sure he'll get mad since I pretended Sheik was someone else, but would he have believed me?

I chose the name used in a story of ancient times, one of my favorite stories my dad used to tell Tetra and me before bed. The name used by a princess who disguised herself as a Sheikah warrior to help a hero save the world. I felt it was the coolest name to use for the competition.

I remember stepping up for my turn after all of the other contestants, many of which were also women. I remember the deafening roars of the crowd when I sailed arrow after arrow into the targets. The targets were stationary, unevenly placed, and some moved, up and down or side to side. I only needed three minutes to finish, even with immense concentration. I don't know how I pulled it off. I bowed to the crowd after I finished and everyone shouted my name as the emcee said that I was a potential candidate for taking first place. I remember the words "Will Sheik be the second woman in history to claim the title of Golden Arrow Champion?"

When they rewarded me first place, I was speechless. I never thought, in a million years, that I would actually win. My dad ran down to me and broke through the crowd and took me in his arms, grinning as widely as I was. I was thankful my dad was there just then, as many reporters started to crowd me and, the audience screamed, clapped, whistled, shouted so loud, I couldn't hear my own thoughts. It was too much, being the center of that much attention. People shouting at me, pointing, pushing each other to get closer. I wanted to hide within seconds, no matter how thrilled I was to win, to have made history and all that. My dad shoved several people back from me as they got too close, before the guards who worked as staff for the event finally started backing everyone up, shouting in loud, authoritative voices.

My dad and I had talked about what I would do beforehand if I won. He told me to keep my personal life out of the answers I gave the press, so I did. Just like Karane, I gave them as little info about myself as possible. I had wanted everyone to know my name as we rode up through Faron to Central, but my dad convinced me it was better to not let myself get caught up in fame. I'm so glad I took his advice, as I imagine my life would not be as peaceful as it is now. My dad had me picture people coming to Lurelin to see me, and how annoying that would be. I'd be a celebrity, and everyone would want to meet me, know me, and never leave me alone. It was then I realized I didn't really want fame. My dad and I agreed that going by an alias was the best option for me before I went to sign up. I'm glad we made that decision now because I'm able to be who I am. It's a secret that is easy to keep, unless someone recognizes my face. "Zelda" is just some regular girl. I'm free to do what I like as long as I'm careful. That was two years ago, and my family, friends, and the entire village protected me by playing dumb when reporters came to Lurelin looking for me. I was luckily able to sneak away to Faron Woods when they came, so they never saw me. I had to keep a low profile, and even when I left, Tetra and my parents were worried that I'd be found out, but I assured them I'd be fine and so far, I have been.

While Link was talking about the Festival of Warriors, I changed the subject to Karane because I didn't want to talk about myself, so I could avoid telling him another half-lie. Usually, I don't have trouble talking to people about my alias, but with Link I started to panic. I've been keeping it from him…I like that he doesn't know. I liked it especially when we met, since he treated me just like anyone else. Very unlike the other guys who I meet, who know me only by my famous alias. I hate the attention I get and the questions as well as the impressed staring, the over obvious flirting and bluntness they have with me, and the way they treat me as if I'm some sort of shiny prize. People who know me as Sheik don't treat me normal at all. They go out of their way to make me happy, they gift me things, they never leave me alone, and much more. I liked the attention to an extent in the month or so after I won, but now I just hate it. I want to be me, just Zelda. I never want to be recognized as Sheik again.

That's why I didn't tell Link. I like the way he sees me as I am without that title. Since Link doesn't know I'm Sheik, he treats me normally, like I want to be treated. At first I thought he might have known, but I am ninety five percent sure now he has no idea because there is no way he wouldn't have brought it up by now. There's no way he wouldn't have confronted me about it when he mentioned "Sheik" today. I was glad nobody recognized me in Kakariko Village and Castle Town. Not that I was worried about it in the slightest while we visited either place. I honestly forgot all about it for quite a while there, as being near Link makes me forget nearly everything else except for the things we do.

I wanted to spit it out and confess while we talked over breakfast, especially when he said I had the talent to win the Golden Arrow and become the third woman in history to claim it. But, I thought the words silently instead: if I weren't already the second.

Things just changed a lot between us and adding this on top of that...it's just too much. I have no reason not to tell Link other than thinking he would react like everyone who finds out, but that's enough reason for me to hide it. I don't want him to see me like everyone else who knows does. I want Link to just look at me the way he always does. I only want him to see me, the girl who he met in Hateno.

I'm sure he'd be mad if I told him the truth now, since I've been hiding it since the day I met him. I can imagine how I would feel if he were the one who was hiding this secret from me all this time. If I tell Link, he might not believe me, but even worse, he might become mad enough to walk away and leave.

I know I would not get over that.

I get out of the lake and dry myself, get dressed, and put the clean dishes in my backpack. I walk back to camp slowly, thinking of the best way to tell him the truth.

x.x.x

I drop off the dishes and put my toiletries in my saddlebag before walking out of camp again, remembering that I wanted to ask Rauru if he knows anything about my necklace. I walk past Plateau Town to his log cabin and I find him lounging in a chair, under a nice shade tree nearby. I think he's asleep before he lifts his chin and looks at me.

"Good afternoon, miss Zelda."

"Hi Rauru. I was wondering if you know anything about luminous stone?"

"Ah, I thought that necklace pendant of yours might have been that. I do know a little about it."

I sit down in the grass, excited to hear he has information on it, like I hoped.

"Luminous stone is full of chemicals that stare energy when exposed to light. These substances are called phosphors. They need exposure to light in order to glow, so that pendant around your neck won't glow at night unless it is "charged" up by sunlight during the day. If you keep a luminous stone in complete darkness all day, it will react like any other ordinary stone."

"Wow. That is very interesting. I didn't imagine the stone was made of something so special. It looks so ordinary. "I say, picking up the pendant around my neck and looking at it in the sun.

"Just one of nature's million wonders." Rauru says with a crooked smile.

x.x.x

I walk up and I hear the three of them laughing before I see Groose sitting on the rock in the middle of the swimming pond, Midna standing on the lower flat rock with her hands her hips while looking down at Link, who floats on his back. I catch the tail end of a story she's telling before she catches sight of me and looks up to where I stand on the shore by the water.

"Decided to join us after all?" She asks.

"I don't have my suit on, but I'll stick around." I answer.

"Are you guys planning on going to the Festival of Warriors?" Groose asks.

I bite the inside of my cheek. That again? Just cool it, me, it's fine. Link answers for us.

"I'd like to, but Zel never told me if she wanted to go or not when we talked out about it this morning."

"I guess we can." I say, the words sandpaper on my vocal cords. If I say no, they'll probably ask why. I really do not want to go. There's no way I won't be spotted and pointed out. Literally everyone there will know my face. Maybe if I tell Link...I won't have to go. I just have to muster up the courage to do so.

"We should all go together." Midna says, and the guys agree. I'm left there biting my lip. Lovely! Now I have to go, fake sick or something, or tell them all my secret. I certainly can't do that. Damn. I growl in my thoughts and then take a breath, before I let it out slowly.

"Alright." I say, feeling sick to my stomach.

x.x.x

We all wander the plateau afterwards, trying to come up with something to do. I enjoy being around Midna and Groose, they are a riot together, and I honestly don't find it hard to believe they are not more than friends like I originally thought. They act and fight like siblings more than anything. We end up hiking up Mount Hylia and I get to experience what Link saw when he climbed the cliff. A couple of hours later, we follow them to their camp where we eat dinner, which none of us are picky about, since all four of us skipped lunch. We eat roasted fish by the lake down the hill from their camp, where I see Link eyeing our clothes on the line nearby. They both turn in around nine, and we agree to meet by the Great Plateau tower tomorrow morning at ten. Link and I grab our clothes and the rope they're on and he asks why I washed his too.

"I was doing mine, so I thought why not? Is that alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just surprised is all. Thanks."

"No problem." I say, remembering my thoughts while doing so and blushing in the moonlight.

When we get back to our camp, Link grabs his sleeping bag instead of climbing into his hammock, so I grab mine and lay it down next to his before I lay down. I reach my hand out and take his, and Link smiles and scoots back before he tells me to "come here" as he tugs on my arm gently. I smile and crawl onto his sleeping bag. After falling asleep with him on the tower last night, the idea of ever sleeping in my hammock again sucks. I only want to be close to him now. Link wraps his arms around me and I feel that warm tingling feeling inside and I smile as I look at him.

Not tonight. I can wait till morning to confess. I tell myself, content with getting to enjoy one more night this close to him, before I crash open the door with my stupid secret. As warm and happy as I feel in Link's arms, a constricting feeling forms in my chest and I close my eyes and try to make it go away.

"Zel, what's wrong?" I hear Link say, and he sounds concerned. I like how he sounds as he worries about me, but how does he know something's wrong?

"Nothing." I say, leaning up and kissing him. Link kisses me for several seconds before his lips leave mine. I feel lightheaded and loopy when he pulls away. Goddess, I love his kisses. If there's anything he can do perfectly, it's kiss me.

"You sure?" He asks.

I'm sure now, at least for the moment. "Completely. I've got you right here." I say with a smile I can't suppress, the feeling in my chest gone. Link gives me that wonderful smile of his and my heart pitter-patters in my chest.

I rest my head to his chest and close my eyes, enjoying his warmth before I fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a small change in my very first chapter that was an extremely early hint to Zelda's secret, because I made a little mistake. It's minor, and most if you probably don't remember that but if you did pick up on it, that's what this note is for. Originally, my Golden Arrow idea was what inspired me to start this story, but things went down a different road as I'm unexperienced and I didn't know how to use the idea, but I do now.


	23. Guilt

Chapter 23

Guilt

Zelda's PoV

I'm at the Festival of Warriors, and everyone is staring and pointing at me as I stand there in the middle of the crowd, on the coliseum's second floor. A huge man picks me up suddenly, throws me over his shoulder, and starts carrying me down the stairs. I scream for him to put me down and thrash my arms and legs and beat my fists on his back to no avail. He brings me to the center of the floor before putting me down roughly. I don't recognize the man's face when he steps back. Then everyone starts shouting my name. No. They're not shouting my name, it's the name of my alias: Sheik. It's not like last time, when they were cheering and applauding, however; The name is being said with disgust and hatred, accompanied by other words that feel like daggers cutting into my skin. They shout nasty insults and throw things at me, and many of those objects hit me in the arms, back, and something even hits me in the back of the head. I cower down on my knees and hold my hands behind my head, screaming.

Someone steps up to me and kneels down on one knee and, when I look up, I see Link there. I throw my arms around him, but he does not embrace me like I expect and instead, he shoves me back roughly away from him. The look on his face then is one that I've never seen before. His eyes are dark and icy, opposite of the calming sky blue they always are, his eyebrows tilted downwards heavily, bringing a terrifying look that I've never imagined on his face. His lips turn down in a sneer, his jaw setting tightly. Link stands up and faces the crowd before shouting to get their attention. His voice is very angry, thick and cold. His words sound far louder than humanly possible, as if he is holding a microphone and is shouting into it on the top of his lungs.

"Listen!" He yells, and the coliseum becomes so silent I can hear myself breathing. "Have you ever wondered about the mysterious "Sheik"? Wonder who she is, or why you can't find her?" Link laughs, and it's a noise that chills my bones and makes me shake before he continues; it doesn't fit him even as cruel as he's being. "She goes by an alias. Her name is Zelda and she is from Lurelin Village!" He turns back to me then and his next words break down my shattering world even more as the coliseum erupts in a loud cacophony of deafening noise, but I still hear Link when he turns to me, the slow spoken words seeming to come from inside my own skull, so it's impossible not to hear them.

"Goodbye Zelda." Link says, his voice full of cold disgust, glaring down at me with an expression that makes my heart stall in my chest for a long moment before turning and walking away, leaving me crouching on the ground. Items come hurling my way again, hitting me everywhere, but the impact of those things smacking and thudding against my body doesn't hurt; I can't even feel that. The only thing I feel is my heart feeling like it is being squeezed from the inside and then pain, as if it's being thrown against my rib cage. I gasp and yell his name, but Link doesn't turn around. I can't stand up to run after him, either. My body feels like it's being held down by a heavy, unbreakable force. I can't breathe, my vision starts blurring. All I can do is watch Link walk further and further away until he eventually disappears out of my sight.

I hear my name as everything goes black, the voice is warbled. I hear it again, this time clear as day and I recognize it. I snap my eyes open and I'm being shaken as Link says my name loudly. I suck in a heavy gasp of air that fills my lungs like carbon-dioxide instead of oxygen, and cough before I start hyperventilating. I meet Link's eyes a split second later and my heart races violently. His eyes are full of concern and worry, as different as night and day from what I just saw. It was just a dream, oh thank Hylia! I think rapidly. I swallow down a few more breaths of shallow air before I throw my arms around Link and press my face to his chest, losing it completely, sobbing, gasping for every breath. My nose runs like a water fountain and I sniff, trying to breathe so I can cry it out, the mixed pain and relief I feel in my chest.

This was by far the worst nightmare I've ever had, and I've had many since winning the Golden Arrow. It felt much more realistic than any of the others by a long shot. I felt actual pain in my chest, I really thought I was awake. I'm glad I didn't wake up alone.

The words Link said in my nightmare echo in my mind as I lay in his arms, safe in the real world. Words Link would never say to me…shouting information he doesn't even have, but I believed it and I couldn't tell the difference as it went on. This horrific nightmare was obviously an over-dramatic combination of my fear of telling him and losing him, mixed with standing in Hyrule Coliseum again. Link wouldn't do that to me, he wouldn't walk away like that. I know it, the expression held on his face right now tells me as much, so I don't know what brought that part on. But I do know one thing: I have to tell him. When I finally stop crying, I pull back and look up into his eyes. I open my mouth to just spit it out as we lay there, but the words won't come out. I'm too worked up, the only noise I can make is a rasping sound. As I try to talk, I realize that even if I could speak, I'm not sure I could say what I have to. I'm so scared. I don't want to be afraid to tell him, but I am, now more than ever. Even as soft and kind as Link's eyes look right now, I'm so afraid anyway. I lay my head down and fresh tears spill down my cheeks and his arms tighten slightly around me after he adjusts himself so he's also laying comfortably.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I try to talk again and the same thing happens; I just can't do it. I shake my head instead. I do get out another word, however.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm here for you."

His voice is soft and his eyes are so warm as he looks into mine. How could I ever dream that Link would look at me so coldly? It just doesn't seem possible. As he gazes at me reassuringly, I can tell that he cares deeply for me; he doesn't need to say it.

"Thank you for waking me."

"No problem, Zel. You still look so tired. Try to get some more rest."

I shake my head. "I can't." I whisper and it's so quiet I hardly hear it; It's a wonder he can hear me.

"It's okay. Whatever you saw... whatever happened, it's over now. Just get some rest, my...Zelda. I'll be right here when you wake up. I promise you."

Link hesitates a second before saying my name. I want to know how he was going to finish his sentence. My...what? I fill in that little space with a few different words, not knowing if they fit, but hoping they do. It's ironic how perfectly his words fit right now when he doesn't know what I just saw in my nightmare. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I stare at a golden strand of Link's hair that lays in front of his right shoulder, afraid to close my eyes. Afraid of what I will see again if I do. My vision blurs with fresh tears before I blink and they fall, rolling across my face and into my hair before I reach up and wipe them away. Link kisses my forehead and I feel my lips tilting up into a hint of a smile, but not quite. I lay there in his arms, trying to relax. I still can't close my eyes, as heavy as they are from crying, but I let his words warm my heart.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

I think of what happened just before she woke up, going over it in my mind. I woke up to Zelda shaking in her sleep and moving around. Her face showed clear distress at whatever dream or nightmare she was having. I pulled her close to me and she calmed down for a few moments, but then she started making noises in her sleep before she suddenly practically yelled a word that I heard loud and clear:

My name.

I was only shocked for a second before the way she said it sent a sick feeling through my body. She sounded so distraught and choked, possibly tortured. I grabbed her shoulder and shook her, saying her name loudly to wake her. She started to cry just after her eyes focused on mine, so I put my right arm under her and pulled her to my chest tightly, holding her while she cried, a sinking feeling going through me. I didn't know what else to do for her, I've never held a girl while she cried like that; Aryll excluded of course, because that is different as she's my sister. Zelda didn't want to talk about it, so as much as I wanted to know right then and there why she said my name in her sleep, and what happened, I didn't ask. I hope that she will tell me, eventually, as it's really bothering me, and I can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop hearing my name in the painful way she said it and that is really starting to make me feel sick, especially since I have to wonder just what I might have done and what kind of nightmare could make her cry like that.

x.x.x

Zelda's Pov

I fall asleep at some point and when I wake again I'm still in Link's arms. I'm relieved I didn't dream again. He's asleep and I gaze at him. He was so sweet earlier while I cried, holding me tightly in his arms, comforting me. His eyes were so soft when he asked me if I wanted to talk about it. I really did. I still do. I know Link's not going to leave me when I confess to being Sheik, that would be outrageous. Deep down inside, I know this without a shadow of doubt. But, even as much as he seems to care for me, I don't know if it's enough to forgive me for keeping a secret this big from him. But I have to say it, right now. I don't want to wake him, but I lift my hand and touch Link's cheek as I say his name, waking him up.

"Morning."

Link yawns before he smiles at me. "Morning Zelda. You're a wonderful sight to wake up to."

My heart flutters and I smile. He's so sweet, I love it. "So are you." I say, and Link puts his hand on the back of my head and kisses me. I forget everything else as we share a kiss that gives me butterflies inside. I pull away regretfully as a voice in the back of my mind reminds me that I woke him for a reason and we can kiss later. I open my mouth to start confessing and I am interrupted by a guy's voice. No! Why?! So much for that...I look down and sigh heavily.

"I thought we agreed to meet at the tower at ten, it's ten thirty and I assumed you guys would be long waiting for us." I look over my shoulder and see Groose and Midna walking up and stopping before us.

"See Groose? We didn't need to hurry after all. I knew these two would be lovey dovey still." Midna says, looking at him.

Link lets me go and I get up, my stomach churning with mixed feelings of anger, disappointment and regret. I should have just spat it out last night or when I woke up from that nightmare. I'm so stupid. I could say that I don't want to go, but then Link will ask why, which wouldn't be a problem if Groose and Midna weren't here now. But, if I say something now, they'll overhear and I'll be telling them as well and I don't want to do that. Link stands up and stretches before he asks me if I'll make that oatmeal I made at Dueling Peaks' stable. It's quick, so our friends here won't be waiting for long. I nod and tell him we should go get our horses too, so he comes with me to the lake after I grab my little metal bucket for boiling water from my saddlebag.

x.x.x

I make our breakfast with the last of the oats I have and add an apple to it like I did last time. We eat while talking with Midna and Groose, or well, Link talks. They talk about how they went to FOW - most people abbreviate Festival of Warriors when they talk about it, just saying the first letters as an acronym - the last two years, which means they were there when I won. I'm sure they must know who I am then, but I still don't bring up my secret. I sit there, hoping I am wrong and two years is long enough for them to forget my face.

We get our horses ready with all of our things before the four of us leave the forest. Midna and Groose don't have horses, which must suck; I can't imagine walking the country on foot, that'd be awful. Midna says she wants to climb the Great Plateau tower one more time before we leave, and the rest of us agree. I feel that warmth in my heart again upon remembering what happened last time I was up there: that wonderful kiss, spending the night in Link's arms. I also shake my head at remembering what he did yesterday morning. He must be quite comfortable with me to make a pee break right in front of me, without apparently thinking about it, now that I think of it. I want to bring it up and laugh, but I promised him I wouldn't.

At the top of the tower, Groose and Midna cross over to the railing where Link and I stood when we kissed. I walk over to the west-facing side and look into the distance at the giant bird that signifies Rito Village. With how peaceful Uli told me it is there, when we talked at their cabin, I'm excited to see it eventually. Link comes over and stands next to me. I wish more than anything I could tell him I'm Sheik right now. My insides are a turmoil and I feel sick hiding this from him. I try to look happy as I step up to him and kiss him. It's almost enough to erase the feelings inside my gut. I wish I were just a normal girl, so I could just love him. Love him...Do I love Link? I think about that as I hug him tightly and he embraces me back. I close my eyes and try to clear my head, pressing my face into his chest and breathing in through my nose. Link smells kind of sweaty, with a strange mixture of something sweet-smelling, but, somehow, that smell is comforting, as strange as it sounds. After a minute or two, I feel more relaxed, if I just focus on being in his arms, where I've wanted to be for at least the past couple of days. I think I feel Link kiss the top my head, but the pressure is so light that I am unsure. I smile, imagining he did even if I am wrong.

I overhear Groose telling Midna that a sunset would be beautiful up here, and she agrees. "Too bad we didn't think of that." She answers him. I tell them both it is just as lovely as they think. We descend the tower after a little bit and head toward the zigzag staircase and the horse-lift. I'm a little sad that we are leaving, to be honest; I love it on the Plateau. I try to forget about where we will be going. Link and I load up our horses with the lift-operator and pay him the twenty rupees total for our horses, which I just let Link pay for, not caring this time. As we walk down the stairs, I ask Midna why she and Groose don't have horses.

"I don't know how to ride a horse and neither does Groose. We don't know how to catch one, or where to find someone who has one they don't want either."

"Must be exhausting to walk everywhere."

She laughs. "Kind of, but by now I think we're both used to walking. Groose and I don't really travel long periods at a time. We just take it slow. But, eventually, I do want one, so I can experience the feeling of galloping across a field."

"Wanna ride with me?" I ask, and then wonder how Starlett will react to that. I hope not badly, but I won't know unless I try. I'm pretty sure my horse is strong enough to carry two. It will probably be a short ride, so I don't think it will be too bad.

"Really?! I'd love to." Midna says, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

I guide her through the steps of getting up into the saddle and, to my relief, Starlett stands still. I climb up next and sit in front of Midna. It's a little awkward, but we both fit up on the saddle as we are both quite small. Starlett snorts and lets out a blow beneath me and I rub her neck and soothe her. I lean forward and whisper "Just for a little? I'll give you a rest after of even carrying me afterwards." I know my horse probably can't understand me, but I like to think she can, since she calms down. I twist my ponytail up into a tight bun so it won't be blowing in Midna's face as we ride, and I bring Starlett to a trot before I coax her to a sprint and we leave the guys behind, hoof beats loud against wide stone brick way surrounding the Great Plateau. Midna and I are then riding with the wind blowing against us and she lets out a whoop and I look over my shoulder to see her grinning. It's odd to be riding my horse with someone else, but it's also kind of fun. When I take a right at the fork in the road, I see the coliseum where the Festival of Warriors is held to our left, which I try to ignore and keep going for a few minutes before bringing my horse back down to a trot and stopping. We probably shouldn't go too far from Link and Groose, and I can't see them anymore. I dismount, telling her we should wait up on the guys and sit in the grass. Midna is frowning when I look back at her.

"Aww...such a short ride." Midna says, as she dismounts my horse and I try not to scowl at her. Starlett isn't used to this and she's carrying all of my things. "I seriously need a horse. That was too much fun and waaay better than walking." She continues.

"It really is." I say, laying back and staring at the white clouds.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

Zelda offers to let Midna ride her horse with her, and then they are dashing off without another word, leaving Groose and me behind. I wish that I could just follow, but ditching him would be a crap move.

"Lucky her, that looks like a lot of fun. I've gotta catch a horse of my own. Do you have any tips on doing so?" Groose asks me.

"You have to catch them by surprise and mount them quickly. Soothing them as they try bucking you off is a must." I say. I actually didn't have to catch Epona, she was given to me by Rusl when I was fourteen, but that's how you do it. I have caught a few wild horses for the fun of it though, before letting them go.

"So it takes stealth...I guess you can count me out then. Midna says I sound like a Tabantha moose or rhino when I walk."

"If you're quick enough, that might not matter." I tell him, speaking from experience. Groose doesn't look too inspired.

It doesn't take us long to catch up with the girls, who are both laughing as they lay in the sun. They sit up as we approach and look at me, before giving each other a look then giggling again. I wonder briefly why, but decide I don't need to know. They get up and we're on our way again as Zelda walks beside her horse, talking to Midna. I walk with them, Epona following behind.

Since the Festival of Warriors starts tomorrow, I ask Zelda what she wants to do with her horse while we're there. I suggest the Coliseum Stables, which is the massive stable that Hyrule Coliseum owns for the event, located in the open field just north of the coliseum. A lot of people register their horses there because it is convenient or they opt for large fenced in pasture outside of it. Zelda says we won't be doing either, it's too chaotic, and she knows someone they can stay with while we attend the event. She speaks in a flat voice that does not match her usual light, chipper tone. I know something's wrong, the solemn expression she also wears gives it away. I wonder if her mood is related to the nightmare she woke up with this morning. I ask if she's alright. Zelda just gives me a smile that doesn't reach her eyes before she says "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks."

I accept her lie and take her small hand in mine as we walk. I feel her fingers squeeze my palm.

x.x.x

We walk up to a small house on the shore of Lake Kolomo, sitting between several trees so there is shade on all sides. Flowers and large-leaved plants grow in between overgrown weeds in the garden next to the small porch. We walk up the steps and Zelda knocks on the door. A girl with short brown hair answers it and grins widely before she hugs Zelda immediately and Zelda hugs her back just as tightly.

"Zelda! It's been so long since I have seen you. Your mom wrote me saying you left Lurelin to travel, but I didn't think it would take you so long to visit me. Oh-" She pauses and her eyes go to me before she leans back and looks at Zelda, lowering her voice to a teasing tone. "You brought a handsome boy with you too."

I can't hide the smile that comes across my face as Zelda gets flustered and embarrassed as she speaks next.

"Um...yeah. This is Link, and this is Midna and Groose. Everyone, this is Anju, she's one of my best friends. I met her when I was nine when she moved Lurelin Village, but she moved back to Central after she got married."

"Please come in guys. The house is nice and cool and it's already boiling out here." Anju says, fanning herself.

We shuffle inside and I see the house is well decorated. Many drawings of people hang in the walls. The kitchen walls are sky blue with white flowers painted just above the long wooden counter top. An island sits in the middle of it, separating the small, cozy living room from the kitchen. Two doors sit down a tiny hallway to the left of the room. Zelda, Midna and I sit down on a sofa with blue and red pillows, and Groose sinks down a huge arm chair adorned with a wild cat head on the back; the arms of the chair are also carved into paws with claws at the ends. I recognize it without mistake, Rusl made it just before I decided to leave Kakariko. I point out the coincidence after Anju stands in the middle of the room, telling us to make ourselves at home. She's excited to hear I know Rusl and asks how he is doing.

"He's doing well and has settled down with his wife, Uli."

"I will have to write and congratulate them. Uli is a lucky lady, finding such a talented man. They must live very comfortably. But she is not as lucky as myself, my man should be back soon." Anju says with a giggle.

As if on cue, the door opens and a guy with shoulder-length purple hair walks in the door. I have to blink to make sure I'm seeing that color right, and I am, which confuses the hell out of me. I meet so many people with crazy hair nowadays, it's insane. For instance, Midna's fire orange and Saria's green, but this guy's dark purple hair blows either of them away as it's definitely the strangest since it doesn't suit him in my opinion.

"Hey sweetheart. Who have you filled our house up with?" He says, as Anju hugs him.

"Zelda is here with her friends." She answers, before introducing us to him. "This is Kafei." Anju says, smiling.

"Oh Zel! It's great to see you. I should have recognized that horse of yours when I saw her." He says.

Zelda gets up and hugs him. "It's nice to see you again too, Kafei. I do hope you're taking care of sweet Anju here like a gentleman."

He laughs and his wife answers for him.

"Oh yes. Kafei is always treating me like a princess, even a bit too over the top sometimes. But he should, after all, we've got a little one coming."

"Oh my goddess! Congratulations you two!" Zelda exclaims, nearly jumping in joy. She's so happy that she brings both her friends in for another hug and they laugh. I'm glad to see her in such a good mood given how down she's looked all day. As the three of them launch into a conversation about that while walking to the kitchen, I lay my head back against the couch cushions. It's so comfy I almost fall asleep before Groose starts talking.

x.x.x

It's another blistering hot day, so we all don our swimsuits and jump in the lake an hour or two after lunch, which Groose and I helped Anju in the kitchen with. In a shallow part of the lake, we play a game for four people called "cucco", where Zelda sits on my shoulders and Midna sits on Groose's while we stand in the water. The goal is for the one of the girls to knock the other off of our shoulders by grabbing each others' arms and making her loose balance. I used to play this with my sisters and the other kids in Kakariko in the pond above the village. Zelda and Midna laugh as they push and shove at each other, and I find it hard to keep my balance. Zelda isn't very heavy, but it's more difficult for me to keep upright than it is for Groose. At least I assume it is, as he stands more stationary, but Midna goes plunging into the water first and Zelda lets out a whoop. While Midna resurfaces, Zelda puts her hands in my hair, twisting it around her fingers as her legs tighten over my shoulders. She leans forward and looks down at me, which makes her breasts rest on the top of my head and then that's all I can think about when I glance up at her to see her smiling. She sits back up and I'm able to take a breath of air into my lungs again.

Hylia...This girl is giving me a heart attack on accident.

Zelda laughs as Midna challenges her to a best of two out of three rounds. She asks me if I'm up to it and I say sure, before she accepts Midna's declaration of war. Zelda puts up a good fight the second round but we lose. Our third round ends in a close draw, where both girls fall in together in a tangle of arms, screaming, so we have to do a tiebreaker where Groose and I laugh as the girls battle it out.

"Come on Zelda, you know who's gonna win this."

"Yeah, it's going to be me. You're going down, Midna."

It takes eleven more seconds until Zelda throws Midna off balance and the Twili girl goes plunging underwater. Zelda throws her fists up in the air and yells "victory!", before mimicking Midna's evil laugh atop my shoulders. Midna resurfaces with a solemn look that changes when she starts laughing at Zelda's bad imitation of her cackle.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I haven't played cucco in years, so when Midna suggests it, I feel awkward, but I agree and we convince the guys to play. I feel shy sitting on Link's shoulders, but I like the feel of his hands on my calves; They feel warmer than I think they should. If he were anyone else, I wouldn't think twice about sitting on their shoulders, but it's Link and I wonder if he is feeling as nervous and warm as I am. I'm surprised that I am able to beat Midna in our shoulder-sitting wrestling match with the "sudden death" as Midna calls our tiebreaker. I sit on Link's shoulders as the four of us talk afterwards, and naturally the conversation goes to the FOW. I do my best to act normal and casual, which is easier to do if I just don't talk.

Midna and Groose float on their backs in the water and I play with Link's wet hair, twining it around my fingers, letting it go, doing so again. I don't know what my fascination is with his hair, but I just love it. Link tells me that his shoulders are starting to hurt, so I say I will get down. I don't get to lean backwards to fall off his back intentionally before Link grabs my sides, picks me up, and sets me back down in the water in front of him. It startles me and I squeak with surprise looking down at him. I didn't expect him to pick me up. I wasn't aware he could pick me up like that. Maybe I am not very heavy. Either way, I turn around in the water and look at him.

I feel uncomfortable for the first time in front of Link. It's not the way he looks at me in my bikini, I don't mind that, but rather the guilty feeling related to my secret creeping up on me again. I could tell him that I want to talk to him privately, but I force a smile before turning around and swimming over to the shore instead. What's wrong with me? Don't I want him to know? I did this morning, but now everything inside me screams that I don't. I know I can't hide it forever, and if I don't say it, he'll find out somehow, but I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of saying those words.

I walk over to the clothesline we have hung our towels on and grab mine. I dry myself off before wrapping my towel around my waist and walking to the opposite side of the house, where I find Anju kneeling before a flower garden.

"Oh, hey Zelda. This summer heat has made me lazy. My poor silent princesses are being suffocated by these blasted weeds!" She says, holding one of the beautiful blue and white flowers to the side as she carefully digs the weeds out around it with her hand shovel. I sit down next to her.

"Gardening has never really been my thing. Maybe I'll like it when I get hitched and become pregnant." I say, teasing her. Anju laughs and flings the little bit of dirt on her shovel at me.

"I'm glad your sense of humor hasn't changed. I'm scared of this baby, but I am also so excited. I can't wait to see Kafei as a daddy; He's ecstatic about it. He wants a boy, but I want a little girl to dress up in cute outfits. I guess either will do, I'll love him or her."

"It's wonderful that you are so happy here. I missed you like crazy when you left, but I would have been the one to leave you behind if you had stayed in Lurelin."

Like I expect her to, Anju asks about Link. I tell her the story I tell everyone, but she gets the added on part about our first kiss on the tower, which I told Midna while we waited for the guys as well, and Anju squeals telling me how adorable and romantic that is. She asks if we plan to go the Festival of Warriors and I say yes, adding on the main reason we came was to ask her if we could keep our horses here while we go, which she has no problem with.

"I'm surprised that you are going, Zelda. I remember you saying you regretted ever going in the first place after you won."

"That's true, but Link really wants to go and win the Golden Arrow. I'm so afraid of being recognized again, but..."

"You want to support him. That's so sweet and brave of you, Zelly. You'd give up all the peace you've made for yourself for Link?"

I didn't think of it that way. I'm not sure how to answer at first but when I do, it's the truth from the bottom of my heart. "Yeah. I would. I...he's really special."

We both get up when Anju says she's melting from the mid-afternoon sun and go inside. We sit on the couch and catch up on everything we have done in the past year. She's jealous of my adventures with Link. I bring my knees up in front my chest on the couch when I think of tomorrow again. I tell her how Link has no idea who I am, and how afraid I am about everything. I tell her about my ridiculous nightmare and waking up in his arms and sobbing my eyes out. "...Link is so open with me. He's not afraid to tell me his darkest secrets, but when it comes to me doing the same, I just can't. Not with this, anyway." I say, grabbing one of the blue throw pillows from beside me and placing it between my chest and knees, putting my face down into it as tears fall down my cheeks.

Anju is quiet for several seconds before she reaches over and puts her hand on my shoulder. I lift my head and she's looking at me with a kind smile. "Hey, don't cry, Zelda. From everything you just told me about him, I think he'll understand. Just explain everything from the beginning. If things don't go well, you've always got me, okay?"

I feel a tiny bit better telling someone everything I've been thinking to myself. I scoot over on the couch and hug Anju tightly and tell her I've missed her and all the heart to heart talking we used to do. She says she misses that too, and seeing me again has been a real treat. She says I can stay with her if I ever need to, she still sees me as her best friend forever like we said as little girls.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

When we sit down for dinner, I learn that Kafei is from Castle Town and his father is the mayor. He left to adventure and when he met Anju in Lurelin three years ago, he was so happy to see her again. They were childhood friends in Castle Town, where Anju was born as well.

"So you two have that childhood friends love story. How mushy and blech. A fairy tale romance..." Midna says with a disgusted noise.

We all laugh and Groose puts his hand on Midna"s shoulder. "You can pretend all you like Mid, but I know you're a little girly-girl underneath your tomboy facade. I did find that little pink book in your stuff the other day."

"That...so what? I l-like to write!" She stutters.

"Squeaky girly romance things."

Midna scowls and hits him in the shoulder, saying he shouldn't read a girl's thoughts. Groose throws his head back in laughter.

"I was joking with you. I'd never read your little diary. I had no idea you actually...thanks for the confirmation." He says, laughing harder.

"Shut up you stupid Hinox!" She shouts, and we all start laughing hysterically at the two of them.

Midna is so embarrassed that her face is bright red, but she starts cracking up too when Groose knocks his cup of water over, soaking his lap, and the laughter around the table doubles in volume. "Karma at its finest!" Midna says, between gasps of laughter.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I can't sleep that night. I lay there awake on my sleeping bag a couple feet away from Link, who's passed out. When we laid down, he'd wanted to cuddle me, but I didn't want to, not feeling like I am right now. I don't believe that I deserve to lay in his arms, especially if I feel this much of a coward and liar. It will only make things worse if I get closer to him emotionally. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly as I look at him. I know Link isn't going to leave me when I tell him, but it's certainly going to drop some bricks on the trust he has in me. I don't know why it took until now for my secret to start eating me alive, that should have happened when we met as I've always felt at least a little something for him. I sigh and get up, walking barefoot through the soft grass around the lake, before sitting down with my toes in the water on the opposite side from Anju and Kafei's house. I lay back in the grass and stare at the stars, accidentally finding the horse one Link showed me. I close my eyes and wish that he either knew when he met me or I'd just told him for the umpteeth time today.

I lay with my eyes closed for a long time, breathing in the night air. When I open my eyes, there's a figure standing there leaning over my head. Their eyes look like two black pits with the shadow of the moonlight, their mouth full of glowing white teeth. I let out a scream and throw myself to the side, getting on my feet, before I hear familiar laughing and notice orange hair.

"Goddess Hylia, Midna!" I gasp.

"Sorry, I love to scare people. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, it was perfect." She gasps, before grinning creepily. "Couldn't sleep either?"

I shake my head and sit back down, looking across the lake to see the guys are still asleep and my scream didn't wake them. I wish for her to go away; I don't want company right now. Midna sits next to me and I ignore her till I notice her staring at me from my peripheral vision. When I look at her and raise my eyebrows, her stare gets more intense and I start feeling awkward.

"What?" I ask, unable to take it any longer. Midna smirks before she speaks.

"I know you. I can't believe it took me this long to realize it. No wonder nobody could find you. You picked a fake name."

I try to keep a straight face, but inside I am panicking, my pulse raising and my stomach turning. I force myself to pull it together and answer calmly. "Whoever you think I am, you're wr-"

"Zelda, don't even bother denying it. You're Sheik, the girl who won the Golden Arrow two years ago. I was there that day, and your face is very recognizable. You're too pretty to forget. I thought you looked familiar when we met but I couldn't put my finger on where I'd seen you before, and laying over there" - she points across the lake - " it hit me. That's why you're not excited about the FOW. That's why you look so nervous and mopey when we talk about it."

I can't speak. This girl has me all figured out. I close my eyes, bite my lip and swallow to clear my throat. No point in me denying it, now. Midna saw me with her own eyes that day. I wonder if Groose has figured it out too. "You're right…that's me." I say, quietly, looking down at the reflection of the moon in the lake below us. "I don't want to go. I don't want to be recognized."

Midna asks me why I don't want anyone to know, so I explain that I don't want fame and that I regret entering the competition, and why.

"Then why didn't you say you didn't want to go yesterday?"

"Link really wants to go."

"You could have just told him no. Wait...does he know you're Sheik?"

I shake my head. "I was going to tell him right before you and Groose showed up this morning. I didn't want to say it in front of you two. I don't like people to know that I'm…"her." I'm also afraid of how he's going to react. It's too late now, we're leaving in the morning."

"That's bullshit. Link will react worse the longer you wait to tell him. You have to tell him Zelda, before we go tomorrow and he finds out himself. Go wake him up."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to distract him now. Link has his heart set on winning the Golden Arrow himself. If I tell him now, he won't be able to stop thinking about it." It's a stupid answer, but say it firmly. Why does she care so much, anyway? We're hardly friends and this isn't her business.

"You're being ridiculous. If he finds out first it's going to suck for you, you know that, right? I don't know about you, since I barely know you, but I'd feel betrayed and deceived if I found out the person I'm traveling with has a secret this extreme they aren't sharing with me, especially if I was romantically involved with said person. Trust: relationships are built on trust. You're as good as lying to Link, Zelda. Also, hiding the truth like this makes you look suspicious. It's better now than never."

Her words hang in the air between us and I glare at her as she stares back at me intensely. I know she's right. I know that I need to tell him before it's too late. I breathe in deeply through my nose and exhale out through my mouth to cool my rising temper from being lectured on things that I already know far too well.

"You're right. But I am not telling him tonight." I say, evenly. Instead of responding, Midna rolls her eyes and huffs, before standing up and walking off.

I sit there, staring at the reflection of the moon in the lake for a long time before going back to my own sleeping bag and, luckily, passing out to a dream-less sleep.


	24. The Festival of Warriors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry for the delay guys. I usually update weekly but this time I was not able to. :( The next one should be out on time, however, so don't hate me.   
> I also have an original artwork as my story cover on FF.net for I'm With You. It's of a special moment so if you're interested, you can check it out. :)

Chapter 24

The Festival of Warriors

Zelda's PoV

I don't tell Link in the morning. What I said about distracting him was true and if he's mad or upset with me, or however he reacts, he won't be able to focus. I want him to do his best. Excuses, I know. I'm just making excuses now. Tonight, I swear to myself, I will say it no matter what. I tell Midna to make me do it if I don't. She's not happy with me, but she agrees to keep her mouth shut about me and to do so. We both stand in the bathroom the next morning after breakfast. I'm washing my face and brushing my hair, and Midna is putting on makeup in the mirror, when I get an idea. I'll be less recognizable if I don't look like myself. I ask her if she will make me look like someone else, I don't want to be Zelda anymore today.

"So you want a disguise? I'll do my best, but you'll have to wear my clothes too to pull it off."

"Okay." I say, relieved that she'll help me. She leaves the bathroom and comes back a few minutes later and I change into black shorts that fit a bit too tight and a thin strapped black top which comes up above my belly button. I don't like how the outfit looks on me at all when I look in the mirror, but granted nobody would think "Sheik" would be wearing this, "Zelda" wouldn't either. I stand there and let Midna put whatever she wants on my face and I hope that I'm going to look at least decent. She talks as she outlines my eyes with a black pencil.

"You know, if you're so afraid of being recognized, you could just stay here with Anju. She says she doesn't want to go; she's feeling sick."

"I want to be there for Link."

Midna takes the pencil between her fingers from my eyelid before she responds. "You're braver than I am. You love him, don't you?"

I open my eyes and Midna smirks, her eyes squinted and eyebrows quirked. It's a knowing look. I imagine I look strange with my embarrassed expression as she's only done one of my eyes. I close my eyes again and nod.

"That makes your secret all the more dangerous. I mean, it's obvious he loves you by the lingering looks he's always giving you."

"We haven't gotten there yet, but I hope you're right."

"Zelda, I know I'm right."

When she's done with my makeup, I sit on a chair in the kitchen as she does my hair and Anju watches, giving me a strange look that I return in her direction. Midna pulls a bunch of earrings from her pocket.

"You're not going to pierce her ears are you?!" Anju exclaims. I feel a flash of cold fear as she says it; That won't be happening.

"Relax, they aren't real. These are the clip-on kind I used before I left Tanagar City, my mom wouldn't let me pierce my ears." Midna says, before she puts four on my right earlobe and six on my left. I ask her how old she is as she does it and she says eighteen. Next, she pulls a little tube of glue from her makeup bag and puts it on two tiny pieces of metal, before sticking one on the left side of my nose, and then one other below the right side of my bottom lip. Anju points out the owl tattoo on my right shoulder, and they agree that we should cover that up just in case, so Midna draws over it with her black eyeliner and colors it in, making it a black skull instead. Finally, she tells me I'm ready and to go take a look.

I don't recognize the girl in the mirror. My eyes are outlined in thick black pencil, my eyelids are dark gray and my lips are scarlet red. The colors make my skin look even paler than usual. My hair is braided to my scalp twice on the sides above my ears, the middle of my hair is also pulled back and braided on top, the back left down. My ears are a mess of different sized silver loops and the ones on my face look real. With skimpy dark clothes, fake piercings, and dark makeup, I'm somebody else, but I'll still need to be careful. Regardless, I am impressed by how good a job she's done at remaking me. Midna grins in the mirror behind me. "It's gonna be harder to recognize you as Zelda now, but you'll still attract attention. Don't touch your face or ears; you don't want your fake piercings to fall off."

We walk outside and I notice Link do a double take when he sees me. His eyes widen and his lips turn downward, but he quickly corrects that as I walk over near where he stands with Groose. He doesn't like how I look, I can just tell, but it doesn't matter. It's only for today and tomorrow, since the Festival of Warriors is a two-day event.

"Geez Midna, you really overdid it on her." Groose says.

"Don't be rude! Zelda can hear you, you know." Midna snaps, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. Groose physically flinches at her voice.

"Sorry Zelda. It's just not your style, you know?"

I smile, genuinely. I can tell Groose isn't meaning to be rude to me. He's a big guy, but seems to have this softer side to him. Honestly, it's a little strange that Midna and him are best friends, but then again, it's said that opposites attract. "I know. Thanks for being honest, but I wanted to look different today." I say.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

When Zelda walks out of the house with Midna I have to take a double take. Her eyes are thickly outlined with makeup and her beautiful viridian irises are being swallowed up by the black. Her lips are covered in dark lipstick that I don't even want to imagine wiping off if she were to kiss me with it on. She's wearing Midna's clothes, showing a lot of extra skin, which I ordinarily wouldn't mind, but there's the fact we'll going into a building with hundreds of people and she's going to attract a lot of attention dressed like that.

Her ears are covered in earrings like the girl beside her and I'm positive those piercings can't be real; she wouldn't do that...at least, I don't think so. She doesn't look like the Zelda I know at all. I hope to Hylia she's just letting Midna have some fun. Zelda walks up near where Groose and I are standing, with Midna close behind. I notice she also has two gleaming pieces of metal in her nose and below her lip. Those have to be fake, there's no doubt. The makeup she wears is distracting, but I try to keep my usual expression. She's still beautiful, but not in the same way. Honestly, if I didn't watch her walk out of the house right now I probably wouldn't have recognized her right away; she looks like someone else.

The four of us leave to head to the coliseum, Anju and Kafei don't come with us. It's quiet as we follow the road on foot and it makes me uncomfortable, Midna is even silent for once. Zelda looks to the ground as we walk, eyes shifting, hands together, her shoulders slumped; something is definitely wrong. I step closer to her as we walk and wrap my arm around her and she stiffens before relaxing and leaning slightly into me. Zelda looks at me and her expression changes into a smile that doesn't fool me, she hardly looks happy.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask.

"Nothing." She says, her tone falling flat. I don't believe her at all, but when she looks away again, I don't push it.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

The walk to Hyrule Coliseum is short one since Anju and Kafei's house isn't very far away. We pass by Coliseum Stables, which is an open stable with only a roof and the walls to separate the stalls with gates on them. There are still many people here getting their horses situated before they head up to the coliseum. All of those stalls look full, and there are so many horses in the fenced in pasture behind the stable that it's chaotic even outside. I'm very glad that I didn't have to leave Starlett here and I have amazing friends who live nearby.

We continue to walk up the hill and across the large bridge that leads to the ancient coliseum that's existed for hundreds of years. It wasn't until forty-two years ago that the Festival of Warriors was founded, however, and a lot of renovating took place then. There's a long line of people outside the coliseum entrance for admission, and the end of the line nearly reaches the bridge a hundred or so feet back. Midna and Link talk as we take our place in line and I listen and take deep breaths through my nose and let them out slowly. I can't believe I'm back here, the place that holds one of the best moments in my life and also brings on my worst nightmares. I'd prefer standing in pitch black darkness over walking inside the coliseum right now, but I make myself keep stepping forward as the line moves. I do my best to keep my face straight and hold my hands in the pockets of the shorts I wear to hide their shaking.

"Are you okay?" Link asks me.

I put on a fake smile that turns half real when I see his eyes. "Yeah. This will be fun." I say, my insides churning at such a lie.

"This year, the title of "Golden Arrow Champion" will be mine." Link's eyes are intense as he says it, looking into mine with a smug look on his face.

"Good luck."

"Thanks. My best competition will be you, Zel. You're going to participate, aren't you?"

I wish I could. It's fun to compete against Link; He's a worthy challenge. I wish I were here to enter the competition for the first time more than anything, so that I could have shared that experience with him. Maybe he would have won instead.

"Maybe." I say. I already decided I won't be signing up this year, that's a joke, but I can't say no right now or he will ask why and I can't have that conversation right now.

I run my fingers along the small braids brought tightly against my scalp as we stand in line. It feels so strange to have my hair like this, but I have to admit I kind of liked it this way when I looked in the mirror. Perhaps I will play around and learn to braid it back like this sometimes. I look at everyone standing in line as we wait, and wait, and wait. I don't want to look up at the circular arena building in front of us yet. I can't believe that I am actually showing my face here again. Even with the disguise I wear, I'm still afraid somebody is going to recognize me. I count all the facts where I appear differently this time to calm myself. My hair is down, mostly, it was in a braided ponytail that day. Midna's clothes, which I feel uncomfortable in now, are black and honestly, quite skimpy, but the polar opposite of what I wore when I entered the competition two years ago: a light blue shirt and pants. I also only wore a little makeup, - that Tetra made me wear, saying I should look my best for my big moment - which accented my features instead of how Midna's dark makeup is meant to hide them. Oh, not to mention I didn't have facial or crazy ear piercings. Those are a great detail that I'm glad she added, I'd never have them. I feel a little bit calmer now.

Nobody is going to recognize me.

I keep telling myself that as we slowly near closer and closer to the front. When we finally get there, I pull out my wallet and pay my thirty rupees for a dark blue Triforce stamp on the back of my hand that will act as a ticket to come and leave the coliseum for the day. Link and our two friends do the same before I take a deep breath and walk inside.

It's not much different than when I was here before. Music still plays from every direction, the sound being broadcasted through large speakers that are attached to the pillars that hold up the audience floors. The place is packed with people of all races and ages. The huge open second and third floors where the audience stands, that arch around in the cylinder shape of the building, are already filling up quickly. At least half the area I can see from where we stand is full already. Twenty-foot long purple, blue, red, gold and white banners with the symbols of Hyrule's five main races: Hylian, Zora, Goron, Gerudo and Rito, hang from the wall to the right of the entrance. On the left are several tables with someone of each race behind them.

The Rito run the Golden Arrow Tournament for archery, the only one that has a special name for whatever odd reason. Zora manage the melee spear/trident tournament. The Gerudo are in charge of the sword tournament, where you can either choose to use a shield or not. Finally, the Gorons run the rock smashing and strength contests, which are divided by race for obvious reasons. The Festival of Warriors was founded by the Hylians, and we create the schedule and oversee all rules and regulations. In short, we have the final say for what goes and what does not and always have for the past forty-two years, no exceptions. These terms are written in legal documents, signed by all four races, top power traditionally held by the King of Hyrule. A large metal plaque hangs on the wall just left of the entrance stating all FOW rules, which are upheld by staff and royal guards for security. It's pretty much behave or be kicked out.

The Festival is split into two days to fit in all the events, and many people don't stick around for them all. It's all about what you enjoy doing or watching. Anyone sixteen and older is allowed to participate in any of the events, and all races, including all the minor ones like the Sheikah, are welcome to attend whichever they choose. Lines of people stand before each of the tables to register, first come-first serve for the limited spots. They only allow a certain number of competitors for each event, due to how many people attend to keep on the strict time schedule for the duration of the festival. This year, the melee and spear tournaments are on day one, and the archery and strength ones are on day two. We can only sign up for the events on the day they are being held.

I am slightly upset that archery won't be on day one this year because that means I'll have to come both days, thus creating more opportunity for me to be noticed. But I guess it can't be helped, I am the one risking everything. I had a choice and I made it, it's too late now to go take it back.

On the way here, Link told me he'd like to enter the sword tournament as well, and Groose talked excitedly of entering the spear one, so the guys line up for registration and Midna and I walk around. I feel self-conscious the entire time, people staring at me, and I get nervous and look down at the floor, not meeting their eyes. I don't want even the slightest chance of being recognized.

"Hey. Keep your head up. You look miserable." Midna says, leaning over and muttering in my ear. "You'll attract more attention if you act strange like you are now. Stand up straight and walk like you own the world. You look like a tough and confident chick with my makeover, so act like one."

She's right. I'm not Zelda today, or Sheik. I don't know who I am, actually, but I'm someone else. "Okay." I say, adjusting my posture so my shoulders are back and I put my right hand on my hip, thumb in the pocket of my shorts, and look around with curious eyes as if I have never walked in this coliseum before, and this is all something I'm experiencing for the first time.

"Better." Midna says a few minutes later, smirking at me. "By the way, you're lucky Groose doesn't know who you are. He doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut." She adds, which answers the question of whether he's figured it out or not. I'm glad she didn't tell him.

We walk up the stairs to the second floor, which makes my nightmare flash behind my eyes and my legs lock up in place. I have to take a deep breath before I can move again, forcing my legs to work and telling myself that it's okay. We walk through the crowd to the stairs leading to the third floor. Once we get up there, I hear someone say the name "Sheik." I steel my expression and don't look in the direction of whoever said it, when on the inside I am freaking out. It's okay. They are probably just talking about me. Nobody has recognized me. It's fine. It's fine. I tell myself, taking deep silent breaths as we pass through the crowd of people, looking straight ahead.

Midna and I stop in an empty space next to the five feet high, bar slotted, safety railing and look down on everything. More and more people file into the doors as the moments pass, and the space on the humongous open floors becomes packed; There are that many people here. We go back down to the first floor and spot Groose standing with two Gerudo girls, and we make our way over to the thick railing they stand beside and I recognize one of the girls. It's Makeela, coincidentally, the small Gerudo girl I met at the Kakariko Pumpkin Festival. The girl next to her is all over Groose, talking and even touching him, but Makeela looks at him shyly and cute. Sadly, I don't think he even sees her since her friend is taking up all of his attention so he doesn't look her way. When Midna and I stop next to them, she looks over to me and I almost greet and smile at her before I remember my disguise: I'm not Zelda. I don't think she recognizes me, considering how her eyes don't light up and she doesn't greet me saying my name, either. I hope she doesn't realize who I am, happy as I am to meet her again.

Midna clears her throat loudly and Groose finally looks over and notices we are standing here, and he introduces us. When he says my name I panic, but I act neutral as Makeela looks over to me and tilts her head, studying me, her eyebrows lowered in confusion. I make myself speak after swallowing, my throat dry. "Hi Makeela. It's me, Zelda, I just look...different today." I say, forcing a casual laugh. It's then I realize that people meeting me by my actual name isn't a problem at all, nobody here knows it except those who know me personally. Duh, me. Settle down.

"Zelda! I didn't recognize you at all. Wow." She says, looking me over.

I stand with my hands on the stone railing as we talk, my nerves relaxing, catching up and telling each other stories of what we have done lately. The lines below us are almost gone and they'll be starting with the first event soon, which will be the sword contest. I find Link easily near the front of that line. I look forward to watching him, I'm sure he'll do well. I just know Link was playing with me when we dueled on the plateau, he has a lot more potential than he showed me for sure. I should have wished him good luck before we parted ways down there and I regret not doing so.

x.x.x.x.x

A loud booming noise fills the air followed by the sound of crackling. I look up and I'm surprised to see the shimmery colors of a few fireboomers as literally everyone else gasps and shouts and points at the sky. I'm shocked to see them too, since I thought they were a new invention that Hudson had been trying out when we were outside Kakariko, or so Cado told me. Hmm, maybe he sold some to Hyrule Coliseum? I wonder how many rupees he made for that as the contest emcee welcomes us to the forty-third Festival of Warriors in a loud, sonorous voice that riles up the crowd and everyone starts clapping, cheering, and yelling in excitement. The energy through the air even makes me excited, a real smile spreading across my face. The emcee explains the rules for the sword-fighting contest. It's simple really, disarm your opponent to win just like in Link's and my duel.

It's a little while till Link's name is called for the seventh duel, against a small, skinny guy with ghost pale skin that's lighter than even Midna's ashy complexion. He has snow white hair that comes down to his chin and even from the small distance, I can see his eyes are underlined with liner, which I find extremely strange for a man. He wears white and red and holds a black rapier in his right hand, shield-less like Link is. The emcee's booming voice says "From Kakariko Village: Link, versus Tanagar City's "handsome devil": Ghirahim." The audience cheers and whoops. I raise my eyebrows and look to Midna when he says the name of the place she and Groose are from. She nods, rolling her eyes.

"Ghirahim is a serious creep who is very into himself. He's always given me the chills, but a lot of girls like him. I can't see why, its not like he's "handsome" like that emcee just said." She says, shuddering and gesturing to the man below us with her hands and we share a laugh. "But, he's not bad with a sword."

I shout good luck to Link and wave, and he looks up in my direction before finding me and shooting a smile my way before going back to eyeing his opponent. A horn is blown to start the battle and neither of them hesitate before going for each other, crossing blades immediately, locked there for several seconds before breaking apart. The next few minutes are a series of perfectly timed dodges and high pitched clanging of swords. They are fairly on the same level when it comes to skill, throwing each other off and then picking right back up. It's interesting to watch since they both have their weakness that they know exactly how to correct. Several more minutes pass by and I can't tell who has the upper hand, and watching begins to become almost boring, but it's clear they are both getting tired soon and they both back off from each other and dance in a circle.

"I grow tired of this. It's about time I get serious and end this." Ghirahim shouts in a voice that sounds thick and melodramatic as he puts one hand to his forehead, striking a short pose with his right knee bent slightly and his sword hand up in the air, its black blade gleams in the sunlight. I raise my eyebrows and laugh along with several other people in the audience, for he both looks and sounds ridiculous.

"Well, get on with it." Link responds, his voice sounding amused.

Ghirahim comes for Link with a yell and Link steps to the side, which causes his opponent's momentum to go off balance. When Ghirahim turns, he has made a mistake and Link catches his sword with an upwards strike that causes it to go spiraling of his hand, landing with a loud screeching sound as it slides on the moss cracked stone of the floor. The audience erupts in applause and cheering, several people shouting things like "thought that'd never end" and "finally!" The emcee congratulates Link on his win as he sheathes his sword on his back and Ghirahim picks his up, shoulders slumped in disappointment. Link walks up and holds his hand out to him to shake for a good battle, but Ghirahim walks past him, giving him a nasty look and stalking away.

"What a sore loser." Midna says. "Such an unattractive trait."

"I agree. He was pretty good, though, yet obviously unfortunate to have to duel Link in the first round."

Midna shrugs her shoulders. "I guess."

Link walks up the stairs leading up to the first floor, where we stand. People turn and look at him as he walks through the crowd, cheering and clapping for him, many girls giggle and squeal as they look at him. When he's ten feet away from me, I start walking his way and am cut off by two girls who step in front of me.

"Nice one, Link. That creeper never had a chance." The taller girl with brown hair says, putting her hand on her hip and giving him a smile. Her friend steps closer to him and speaks. "Hey hottie, that was some skill. Wanna meet up with me later for some fun?" She says, leaning forward so her low cut shirt shows off her large breasts and I clench my fingers into fists, biting my lip. His face is blank as he looks at her, and then to me, then back at her. "No thanks." He says flatly, before stepping around them and wrapping an arm around my waist. I feel satisfaction in knowing that Link only wants me, it makes me feel fuzzy inside. Both girls turn and give me dirty looks before looking at each other with a look of jealous disgust before they walk away.

"That girl was sure flaunting herself at you." I say.

Link shrugs. "They both were, but it doesn't matter. There's nobody for me but you."

A warm tingle spreads through my body as I smile and go to kiss him, but he turns his head kisses my cheek instead. When I give him a hurt-slash-confused look, he points to my lips and I laugh, suddenly remembering what happened when Agitha kissed him in Castle Town Stable.

"Great job down there, by the way. You may win yet." I say.

"Thanks."

We watch the rest of the first rounds before the victors are called back down to the main floor. Link kisses my forehead before walking back downstairs. The second round of the contest ends quicker than I'm expecting, and Link makes it through that one too, before winning all his next duels as well, landing him in the semi-final round. He becomes a crowd favorite in no time, and Groose, Midna and I cheer him on from the second floor.

His last duel is against a Gerudo woman that has had everyone's attention since the beginning. Her name alone is enough to make them shout loud enough that that the roar throbs inside my skull. Urbosa has a fierce beauty that makes her intimidating on top of her strong physique. She walks with confidence to the center of the arena and stops, then gazes down at Link with a presence I can practically feel. I'm glad I'm not him right now. Although, with how he evenly matches her look, I'm not sure he is intimidated.

The emcee announces the final round of the sword tournament and Link and Urbosa take their stances. She holds a beautiful, blue and red jeweled shield on her left arm and a golden scimitar with hooked, double pointed blade in her right, ready. I see her lips move and Link grins and says something back just before the horn starting their duel sounds.

They don't let us down in showmanship, that's for sure. Every second they cross blades in parry earns a gasp, sigh, or ooh from the audience as they become engrossed in the excitement. Link matches Urbosa's swings on par and she holds firm every sword lock they get into. She's so strong that it looks like she's hardly trying, a smug smile on her blue lips as they continue. I think Urbosa is playing with him, as she deflects his attempts to disarm her of her curved sword with ease. Eventually her technique changes to the one she's been using on all her opponents so far, and she starts using her shield. Honestly, its been more like victims as all of her fights have lasted less than, at most, a few minutes. Link does have undeniable skills, I'll give him that, but I know as well as anyone who's going to win this as much as I wish it wasn't so. Urbosa bashes her shield into his blade and sends Link stumbling backwards, before she uses that moment to smack his sword out of his hand and send it flying. It's a move that she hasn't shown the crowd today, and it's so fast that I hardly catch that's what happens. For the most part, she hasn't even bothered using the shield for her battles, appearing not to need it. The coliseum goes wild, roaring and screaming, then everyone starts chanting her name as he emcee yells into his microphone "This year's Sword Tournament Champion, Urbosa of Gerudo Town!" I cheer and clap for the both of them.

x.x.x.x.x

Link's PoV

I retrieve my sword and stand across from Urbosa with a grin on my face. I'm disappointed that I lost, but even as confident as I was starting that duel, I had the feeling that I wasn't going to come out the victor. I shake her hand and she tells me that she's actually impressed with me, being able to take her on enough that she didn't have to hold back. It's an insult and a compliment at the same time and I laugh as she does. Urbosa is a living legend in the sword tournament, she has won the last five years and every year she creams everyone who dares face her. In her interview on the winner's podium, where I stand as second place, she talks about the warriors school she runs in Gerudo Town, where the Gerudo who stand in her shadow aspire to be legendary. I almost wish that I could train under her but unfortunately, that's impossible. We shake hands and a crowd of reporters comes rushing over to us. I move out of the way as they barrage her with questions all at once.

I accept my recognition and prize, two hundred rupees and a tiny version of Urbosa's champion trophy, which she accepts before holding it at her side. I assume that winning isn't much of an excitement for her anymore from the almost bored expression on her face. Perhaps since she's won six times, it's just not as exciting anymore, or maybe she just doesn't show her emotions.

I walk off after the excitement has died down and see Zelda walking down the stairs to greet me as I climb them. She hugs me and I am glad she doesn't kiss me with the dark lipstick she has on. She congratulates me on second place with a grin and I thank her. We walk up the stairs and stand next to Midna and Groose, who are having a conversation with the short Gerudo girl I remember seeing Zelda with during the Pumpkin Festival in Kakariko, whom Zelda has talked about a few times. I meet Makeela officially as the emcee speaks into his microphone again.

"There will be a two hour break from now to the beginning the Spear and Trident Tournament. Food carts are being brought in for concessions and will be open for lunch convenience on the first floor shortly. Our annual midday entertainment show will also start in one hour ladies and gentlemen. Hyrule Coliseum: Festival of Warriors staff hopes you will enjoy the show this year."

We all walk down as a group to the first floor and get in the lines that are already being managed. We don't have to wait long, as everything that is offered is pay, grab and go, already prepared. Most of the food we are able to get is fruit, vegetable, or bakery related. Once we've all got something, we head up to the deserted third floor to eat, sitting in the sparse shade of the coliseum's open roof. We sit up there talking until the event emcee announces the midday show will be starting in ten minutes and we head down to the second floor again, where we are lucky to find a place we can we all stand next to each other on the opposite side of the coliseum that we were on earlier. The midday show is an equestrian show, where the riders perform in short, small events like trick riding, barrel racing, and show jumping, among other things. They have a similar show almost every year, the events changing. While we watch a trick rider stand up on her horse's back and shoot arrows at targets, Zelda talks.

"I've always thought that standing up and doing tricks on a horse's back is incredible. I attempted doing so once and fell to the ground. I was lucky not to break anything or hurt myself, luckily flipping over and landing on my back. I couldn't get up for a while after that, my skull throbbing and vision spinning as the wind was knocked out of me. I never told anyone I did that, it was too embarrassing." She says, laughing, then looks worried and bites her lip. "Oh...you'll keep that a secret, right? I've never even told Tetra..."

I laugh and promise I won't tell anyone.

x.x.x

The emcee announces the start of the Spear and Trident Tournament after the arena is cleared up, and Groose walks down the stairs for the event. We all wish him luck as he walks off to take his place with the rest of the contestants. The rules are similar to the those of the Sword Tournament, rid your opponent of his or her weapon, purposely injuring someone is grounds for disqualification and being kicked out of the coliseum. Groose does pretty well with his battles, wielding the spear he's carried since we left the Great Plateau. I could never get the hang of that type of weapon. Both Cado and Impa gave up teaching me when I couldn't even get the basics down. Before I came to the FOW the first time, I'd never thought of battling someone with a spear, but watching it being done is quite interesting. It's a whole different type of, like Aryll would say, dance.

After a few rounds, he has to battle a Zora girl that I know personally: Mipha. I met her and her brother Sidon when I visited Zora's Domain and became good friends with both of them. Mipha has a small, petite build and is tinier than most Zora, but it's a bad idea to underestimate her for she's a phenomenal talent. I wonder if Groose has what it takes to win against her or not. They look evenly matched for the first minute or so, but then the odds turn against him when Mipha hooks her trident with his spear and rips it from his hand, leaving Groose without his weapon and looking at his hands a moment later, a shocked expression across his face. I hear Midna laughing loudly and glance at her to see she's leaning over the railing with one hand in her stomach, before she stands upright and bellows.

"You lost to a tiny Zora girl! I can't believe it!"

Groose looks up in our direction and scowls at her, and she laughs harder. Everyone around us starts laughing too and it is funny, considering his six-foot plus height and the fact he's three times her size built of solid muscle. Meanwhile, Mipha bows to the crowd shyly, holding her trident across her chest as if to hide behind it. Until I met Mipha, I thought there was nobody shyer than Paya, but I was wrong. I'm a little surprised to see her competing here. Groose walks up to her and holds his hand out for her to shake, so she does, before walking from the center of the coliseum arena floor as soon as she can. I see her brother waiting at the bottom of the opposite stairs, across the coliseum from where we stand, and he grins widely at her before he picks her up and says something too far away to hear, but Mipha grins back in response. Some of the girls in the audience say things like "Aww." and "How sweet."

x.x.x

"I'm never going to let you live losing to a little Zora girl down." Midna says.

"That "little Zora girl" has a lot of talent. You don't understand. I'd like to see you do better, Mid. You don't even wield a weapon, so you can't talk." He says, defending himself.

I stick up for the guy, since she really taking it over the top. "Mipha is a prodigy in Zora's Domain. It's not surprising that Groose had difficulty in a battle with her. I've seen guys larger than Groose lose to her. It's not about how big you are, but how swift and agile your movements are. That is something she has over most people."

Midna raises her eyebrows at me and crosses her arms. "I don't remembering asking you, Link."

I'm about to answer her when Groose interrupts. "Exactly. Thanks Link." He says, looking to Midna with a smug expression.

"Fine, but it was still funny to watch you lose." Midna says, smirking.

It's now late afternoon and the Spear Tournament is over, marking the end of the events for the day. Many people still stick around the coliseum, though, since in the late evening there is a huge party thrown every year. I go wandering off on my own when Groose walks away with Makeela's friend and Midna and Zelda start having a conversation that I can't relate to.

The walls under the second floor are lined with many, many picture frames hung up. They are the portraits of every person who has ever taken first place and become a champion of the varied events. I walk slowly past the wall of Sword Champions wall, looking to see if I recognize anyone there before I stand in front of the more recent Golden Arrow Champions, looking from face to face. A golden frame catches my eye among the black ones and I take a closer look to see it's none other than Karane. The words "First Woman to Ever Claim the Golden Arrow at the Festival of Warriors" sit under her name above the year she won. Someone must have been drawing her portrait as she stood there on the winners podium because she didn't stick around long enough to even be interviewed.

As I look at Karane's portrait, I remember that Sheik's should be here as well, and I have no idea what she looks like. I look to the frame just to the right and before I even read the name below the portrait, my eyes are locked on it as my jaw drops open. I'd recognize this woman anywhere; With her long blonde hair pulled back in ponytail and resting over her shoulder, her stunning viridian eyes, her small narrow nose and full lips.

It's Zelda.

I let out the breath I don't realize I'm holding till then as I study her portrait, then my eyes lower to the name below it: Sheik. I read it over and over, my eyes flitting between it and her face, unable to make any sense of it. I look over my shoulder and see her standing with Midna and Makeela across the coliseum, laughing loudly. I look back to the portrait of her on the wall, and try to make sense of what I've just learned about her but I just can't understand something.

Why didn't she tell me?


	25. Confession

Chapter 25

Confession

Link's PoV

The sun has almost disappeared with the last rays of light as we walk back to Anju's and Kafei's house. I walk fifteen feet behind the other three, my eyes focused on the back of Zelda's head.

It's no longer a glimpse of a wonder why her mood dropped as soon as I asked her if she wanted to go to the Festival of Warriors, but I never imagined that the reason she wasn't excited to go would be something like this. Anyone else would be boasting in glory about winning, but not Zelda. She hid it so well that I'd have never guessed she was Sheik in a million years. But why? Becoming a Golden Arrow champion is a great accomplishment, it's not like she needs to be ashamed of it.

This is obviously something she felt she couldn't tell me, but something this big seems like the sort of thing someone might mention to the person they've been traveling with for the past couple of weeks. As for being the second woman in Hyrule to win the Golden Arrow...what reason does she have to hide that? I just can't make any sense of this. Why didn't she say anything when I brought up the Festival of Warriors that morning? Even when I mentioned wanting to meet "Sheik" she still said nothing. It pisses me off that she completely disregarded that comment when she was sitting right there, pretended that it never happened, and changed the subject to Karane.

I think to her makeup and clothes she's wearing today as I look at her back and I'm ninety-percent sure she went dressed as she is to hide herself from everyone, not just for fun like I thought when I saw her walk out of the house this morning. If I'm right, that means that Midna definitely knows, and Groose as well probably. I'm sure that Kafei and Anju are in on it as well, leaving me the only person who was left out, which really hurts for more than a few reasons.

She should have told me. I wish she did. Zelda had every opportunity, but she chose to hide it from me instead. It feels even worse since we are together now. How could she purposely keep a secret like this from me? Does Zelda really not trust me even after everything we've done and how much we've shared with each other? I didn't think it was possible to me to even be mad at her, but my temper is rising and my whole body is stiff as I follow down the dirt road behind her.

I'm trying to give her the benefit of a doubt. Clearly, she has to have a reason for not telling me, but for the love of Hylia I can't imagine or come up with a single logical reason by the time we arrive back at the house. Everyone else goes in, but I sit down on the porch steps instead. Zelda stops at the door and I hear her voice behind me. I look over my shoulder as she asks if I'm going to come in. I shake my head and look forward again and she stands there for several seconds before the light from inside the house dims, the door shutting with a click. I'm not sure whether I'm actually mad at her or not, but I certainly feel something rising up inside me. I sit there for a while, staring into space, when I find a word that almost fits what I'm feeling: Disappointment. The feeling is mixed with the salty pain that she doesn't trust me enough to share what is without a doubt her biggest secret with me. I've told her almost all of my skeletons, but now that I think of it, there's not one thing I know about Zelda that could count as one.

I let out a heavy sigh and stand up. I almost go in the house, but I walk down the porch steps instead and walk toward the lake, kicking off my shoes in the grass and pulling my socks off before sinking my toes into the mud of the shore. I walk along the water, thinking even more. I should just turn back to the house and ask her, but I continue to walk through the mud. Anger, confusion, and a cold feeling now flipping through me like a switch. I climb the small hill above the water, walk across the grass, and sit with my back against a tree, closing my eyes and breathing slowly.

Had I known she was Sheik all this time, would things be different between us? I'd like to believe that I wouldn't have treated Zelda differently from the start, but I know that is a lie. How couldn't I have? She's a celebrity; the second most popular woman in world for Archery. Not only did she win the Golden Arrow, but she holds the fastest time record in five years for completing the final target course. Her name plaque below her picture didn't say that, but I've heard it from travelers through Necluda, Lanayru and Akkala. Everywhere I go there's somebody who talks about Sheik. The only thing written below her name was the year, since, like Karane, nobody knows her either. No. Not her name, but her...alias. Why did Zelda pick a fake name to go by in the first place? Didn't she want everyone to know her? I'm reminded suddenly of the conversation we had about Karane when Zelda said something about her maybe not wanting the fame and only wanting the world to remember her name. I can't shake the idea that that explanation hit quite close to home for Zelda herself, and it's closely related to why she decided to go by the name "Sheik."

I realize something as I sit here. I've always seen her as incredible. One of the reasons I followed her below Hateno was because I was intrigued with her skill after all. I also remember how quickly she got down my trick shot and how easy she made it look as well during that apple shooting contest. I was impressed with her all those times and I had no idea she was Sheik. Nothing has really changed if I really break it down.

Several minutes later, I hear a stumbling foot step followed by a sharp hiss of pain. I open my eyes to see Zelda walking up to me. She's wearing her own clothes now, blue shorts and her black tank top, and her face cleaned of the makeup and the fake piercings are gone. Her steps are slow and her shoulders are slumped as she nears me and stops, looking down at me. There's a heavy, lingering quiet in the air between us, a random gust of wind in my ears being the only thing I hear. Zelda eventually takes a deep breath and opens her mouth, but I speak first, unable to keep quiet any longer. The words come out harsher than I intend.

"It was a shock to find your picture on the wall of winners. Why didn't you tell me that you're Sheik?"

Zelda stares at me for a couple of seconds and her eyes widen as her body goes visibly rigid. I gaze in her eyes for a long moment before she breaks eye contract and I hear her breathing become heavier. Her eyes flit around before resting back upon mine. She swallows, and her mouth opens to speak, but a wheezing squeak comes out instead. I wait patiently for her to gather some words as much as I want to talk again. I want her to answer. She tries again and this time her voice comes out quiet.

"I wanted to, but I was afraid."

It's not what I expect her to say, so it fills me with confusion. "Afraid of what, me?"

"No. I mean, it's…complicated."

"Can you please explain?"

She nods and sits down in the grass in front of me.

"I thought you knew when I met you, that there was no possible way that you didn't, but I was wrong and that came across bright and clear. I thought about telling you, but I didn't because I liked how you talked to me, how you looked at me. People who know I'm Sheik, they don't even talk to me normally. They treat me special and I hate it. But since you didn't know, you treated me like I wanted to be treated, like just any other girl. I was afraid to open up to you about being Sheik because I didn't want that to change. I was happy, and I've been happy as we are. I know it's no excuse, but I could forget that I was Sheik with you around. I could relax around you, Link. I could be myself and that was all you would see. I know it's going to sound stupid and unbelievable, but until you brought up the Festival of Warriors...I'd forgotten. You distract me...you make me forget things."

I brush off the curiosity I get at the words "distract me," I can think about that later, right now, it's not important. I can understand where she's coming from, but it isn't good enough, even if she had a good reason.

"I told you that I wanted to meet "Sheik" as we ate breakfast, but you didn't say anything. You just changed to topic to Karane, why?"

"I wasn't expecting you to say that and I panicked. I changed the conversation like I always do when people bring up my alias and then our conversation had already moved on. You said you'd met Karane then and that was all I could think of."

"But after that, I'm sure you were thinking about it, but you still didn't bring it up?"

"Midna and Groose showed up, so I told you to go swimming, so I could figure out how to tell you. But later, I just couldn't make myself say it. I was so happy in your arms that night; I was selfish, and I didn't want to ruin it. I tried telling you the next morning after you woke me up...but I just couldn't talk."

"Because of your nightmare?" I ask. Zelda nods, brushing her bangs to the side. I remember how distraught she was waking up and how she yelled my name with such anguish. She begins to shake and she bites her lip, squeezing her eyes shut. Goddess...I seriously need to know what happened, why she is reacting this way.

"What happened in your nightmare, Zel?"

"It's not important." She says, looking at me, her eyes hardened again.

"Like hell it's not. You were shaking and throwing your arms around. You said my name."

Her eyes widen. "What?"

"You practically screamed it. What happened?"

Zelda shakes her head and says no, firmly; her eyes hardening and crossing her arms over her chest. My jaw sets and I hold back the urge to yell when I see that she's still shaking. I sigh heavily and move on to a new thought.

"Okay...why did you hide who you are from me?"

"I already told you, I liked how-"

"No, not that. Why didn't you tell me you were Sheik before we went to the Festival of Warriors, before I could find out myself? Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you."

"But not with this."

"That's not true! I told you why I didn't tell you."

"But you let your fear overtake you instead of confiding in me."

"You don't understand."

"Then please, Zel. Tell me what I am missing here."

We're both talking in raised voices now, practically yelling. I didn't think I had it in me to raise my voice at Zelda and get so mad looking in her eyes, but I am losing my patience. Zelda takes a ragged breath before she starts talking quickly.

"Entering the Golden Arrow Tournament, it was a mistake! I regret it, Link! After watching Karane win, it was all I wanted, so I trained every day for years until I was ready and when I entered, I was shocked that I actually did win. I couldn't believe it and I was so happy, but then that changed, and fame became something I didn't want, it made me anxious and upset all the time. I hated it! I hated the way everyone talked to me, I even hated the way they looked at me, as if I were some sort of alien they needed to dissect! I didn't want to be Sheik anymore, I never wanted to be recognized ever again! So I hid in Lurelin and I began to have nightmares where people would find out who I was, where I lived and they would be angry at me and-" She growls and stares into my eyes.

This is good information to know, but I'm completely lost with how this has anything do with me. It seems more like she is avoiding answering me, or maybe I'm missing her point.

"You thought I would be angry with you?"

"No...Yes? I know I should have told you long before you could find out, but I was afraid of how you would react. I really - I was afraid that you-"

Her words hang in the air between us and I wait for her to continue, but she doesn't for at least ten seconds, so I take a breath to calm down, keeping my voice even and speaking slowly. "You were afraid that I would what?"

She bites her lip, looking down at the ground. "I didn't mean...I mean it's ridiculous and I know it wouldn't happen."

I ask her again what happened in her dream and she shakes her head and says she can't say it, her voice wavering, the angry tone she had, completely dissolved. The way she says that only makes me need to know more. Whatever she's afraid of, it has to do with that nightmare I woke her from. I move closer to her in the grass and take her hand, which makes her jump as if she's forgotten I'm there, but she holds still, her eyes looking down to her knees.

"You sounded tortured when you said my name. It's been bothering me ever since you woke up. I know you don't want to tell me, but I need to know. You're shaking even now."

"No." She says, and I see a drip fall from her face to the top of her hand; She's crying. I put my fingers under her chin and coerce her to look up, but she doesn't want to, so I have to ask her to look at me and she eventually does. "Link..please don't...I don't want to talk about this." Her eyes are swimming with tears that keep falling and it makes my heart feel like it's being squeezed. I did something in this nightmare, I know I did, she wouldn't be so afraid right now if that wasn't it. I fear knowing, but I still gently press her to tell me, my voice soft and prodding.

"Zelda. Please, tell me. What's hurting you this bad?"

She takes a choked breath and several seconds later she starts to talk, looking down a little, her voice quiet and nasal.

"I was standing in the middle of the coliseum. Everyone was throwing objects at me so I cowered down and screamed. Then you were there...you put your hand on my shoulder and I hugged you in relief, but you shoved me away. When you looked at me, it was like you weren't you, your eyes were terrifying. You stood up and you shouted at the top of your lungs and your voice... it was cold and icy and it was so loud. You told everyone my secret, you told everyone I was Sheik. But-" Zelda sniffs and wipes her nose on the back of her hand, then wipes it in the grass, but I hardly notice or care as I'm stuck on all the things that I'd never do to her. "But that wasn't why I woke up and started crying, it was...the next part."

Zelda pauses for a long moment, I wait for her continue. I have a good idea of what she's going to say next.

"I yelled your name, but you wouldn't turn around. I had to watch you leave...I couldn't move. It all felt so real even if..."

Zelda looks up at me after I put my hands on her shoulders. Even with her nose running so bad it's on her lips, I kiss her before looking in her eyes. " Zel...I swear I'd never do that, any of it."

"I know. I knew you'd never do that to me as soon as I woke up, but I haven't been able to stop picturing it..." She says, her voice cracking to a high pitched whisper. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispers before burying her face in my shirt. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close and tight and her arms wrap around me, fingers clutching at my shirt, her hair pressing against my face.

Even if this didn't really happen, I still feel like a piece of garbage. No wonder she wouldn't close her eyes that morning until sleep took her; she's truly afraid of the same thing I am. A warmth slowly replaces the tightness in my chest because I know how she feels, and that only makes me love her more.

x.x.x

Zelda PoV

Link looks like I've hurt him when I look in his eyes, and my heart feels like it's turned into an icy black pit instead. I horrifyingly break down and lose it, choking out words and becoming a pathetic, sobbing puddle in his arms. Again. I never wanted to tell Link what he "did to me" in my dream, but Link was so insistent on it that I told him, accidentally with far more details than he needed. But even as dreadful as it feels to see that type of pain on his face, I feel a slight relief in telling him.

I eventually stop crying and just hold onto Link, un-clenching my fingers from his shirt and pressing them against his back, not wanting to let him go and also not wanting to see his expression if he's still as upset as he looked. I breathe in a surprised breath and open my eyes as he kisses my hair and then rubs my back with his hands. I feel that I must be dreaming for him to still be this way toward me.

This went a whole different way than I ever imagined, and I feel foolish that I ever thought Link would respond differently than forgiving me, even if, somehow, I knew deep down that he would understand like Anju, Kafei, and even Midna -Groose was asleep on the couch by then- told me before I walked out of the house to go confess. I didn't expect that Link would bring it up first, however, and I felt sick knowing that I was too late and he'd already found out on his own. It's slightly better than if someone told him, but I'd obviously still rather he had not found out by seeing me on the Golden Arrow champions wall. It made it even harder to tell him after he said that. I had to force the words out and I didn't end up saying things the way I wanted to. Link was mad with good reason and I let him be, but I broke and raised my voice back, even if I promised myself I wouldn't.

I wish that I didn't break down and cry like that when I told him about my nightmare, but it was too much as the memory began playing in my mind again. I sit back so I can see his face before I say some words Link needs to hear; words I want him to know even if I have already said some of them.

"I wanted to tell you..it's all I wanted today, yesterday, the day before...but I was a coward and I couldn't do it. I was so afraid when we went today...being recognized, it's my worst nightmare. I never want to be recognized as Sheik again. I regret winning more than anything in the world and stepping inside that coliseum was almost enough to make me run and hide. But you were so excited, so I convinced myself that I wanted to go for you, pushing that fear aside."

"I'm grateful that you did that for me, but you didn't have to. You also didn't need to be afraid to tell me, and I understand why you were, but Zel, I'd have understood if you had just explained. I wouldn't have been mad at all." He pauses before adding. "I'm not mad at you now."

I've been so ridiculous. I should have known that this whole time. I did know that...

"It wasn't only how I thought you'd react. I was afraid to lose what we have and I was afraid that you would see me differently."

"I do see you differently. It hurts that you didn't tell me when it's painfully clear that everyone else knows, yeah, but I understand now. If I knew who you were when we met, things would have been different and I wouldn't have wanted to get to know you any other way. You might have this huge secret of being a Golden Arrow champion, but you're still the same amazing woman I met in Hateno."

I'm not expecting Link to say that. I don't expect him to say any of this. A tiny part of me is still thinking he's going to change his mind and tell me he sees me as something awful and can't trust me anymore.

"There's just one thing, Zel. You need to promise me something."

I nod. I'll promise him whatever he wants, wholeheartedly.

"Promise to be honest with me from now on. Don't hide things from me, okay?"

"I promise. I'm sorry, Link, I should have believed in you more all this time."

"You're already forgiven."

x.x.x

We walk back over the house and bring our sleeping bags behind it before laying down. It's a warm night, so we just lay close on our sides facing each other, not touching except for holding hands. I close my eyes and I'm about to fall asleep when Link asks me a question.

"So today, the heavy makeup and Midna's clothes, they were a disguise?"

"Obviously. I saw Midna doing hers this morning and I thought it was a good idea, and it seems it was since nobody recognized me today. I'll have to do the same thing tomorrow. I didn't tell her who I was by the way, she already knew. Midna was there the day I won two years ago. She confronted me last night when we were both up late, unable to sleep. I'm not sure if Groose knows or not. I wish I could have explained that to your earlier. I could tell when I walked out of the house that you did not like how I looked today. Or did you?" I study his eyes for a long moment before he finally gives me an answer.

"Honestly, no. You're beautiful without makeup. I like you just as you are right now. I'll be glad when you don't have to wear it anymore or dress...um..."

"Skimpy?" I suggest, not wanting to say skanky or slutty. It's not that I think that Midna looks either of those words when she dresses, just to clear that up. It's more that her body type is a little different than mine and the style suits her, unlike how on me I can only see it looking provocative. Not that she's dressed in a top higher than her belly button and worn seriously short shorts while I've known her, so I guess I don't really know. Tomorrow...I'm not wearing that, at least not the shirt. I'll make her lend me a different one.

"Actually Zel, I don't mind if you want to dress that way around me. It's just I don't want every other guy in Hyrule looking at you like that." Link says, giving me a deep look and placing his hand on my left hip. I involuntarily inhale as the warmth of his skin touches mine where my shirt has bunched up a little. I blink and I don't know what to say or do, since we have only touched each other like this through our clothes. Link has never said something like that to me before, either. I smile, nervously, and scoot closer to him. Link slides his hand over my hip and places it on my lower back, still under my shirt. It feels nice and I let out a soft breath as he kisses me and I press my hand over his heart, kissing him back. I let his hand roam my back and that's all he does, but it's more than enough for me right now.

x.x.x

I wake up early and Link is laying there on his back, staring up at sky. I'm surprised he's awake, as the sun is hardly even up and I'm sure it has to be earlier than I usually even wake. I reach my arms over my head and stretch, letting out a grunt before I say good morning.

"Morning Zel. I'm thinking of how I haven't drawn my bow in a while and I'm participating in a tournament today. Would you like to get some training in this morning with me?"

"Sure."

We roll up our sleeping bags before walking around the house. Birds sing their morning song as we grab our bows and quivers. I follow him to a tree right down by the lake and he draws a "X" on it with a circle in the middle, and a larger one on the outside with a knife. Instead of shooting the center circle, Link tells me to line my arrows up on the lines of the X, to practice precision. I tell him that training this way is new to me and he says that Impa always had him and Paya -Aryll and Purah weren't into archery as much– do this every morning before moving on to their regular archery lessons. It shouldn't be hard, but I do fail to line up any of my arrows perfectly along the diagonal line he's drawn, which makes me get aggravated. I stand back and watch Link for a while and he makes it so look so effortless. I make the mental excuse that I'm not awake yet and therefore, I'm not at my best, to make myself feel better.

I gaze as his face as he shoots, watching his eyes shift, a small smile plays on the corner of his lip. I study his stance and the way he holds his bow with a tight grip and even how the end of his arrow looks between his fingertips before he lets go. It's fun to watch him even if he is really hardly doing anything. Perhaps, it's because I adore him that everything he does stands out more, but I can't help but smile at the focused expression on his face. I lean over and kiss his cheek just before he lets his next arrow fly and he completely misses the tree.

"I'm trying to focus here." He says, lightly.

"I know. Can I try again? I think I know what you're doing differently now."

"No, I'm the one who's competing today. I need the practice. Find your own tree." Link says, but he doesn't sound annoyed or anything, just amused that I won't let him be.

"I think you'll do just fine with that perfect aim. Besides, I like this tree." I say, making myself sounds sweet and also being a bit of a brat. Link sighs before letting out short laugh and lowering his bow.

"Alright." He says, dragging the word out exaggeratedly.

I continue missing the X lines over and over and over. I can't focus at all, but instead of getting angry, I just keep shooting until I use all of my arrows, making a mess out of the tiny tree that's being chipped away by arrowheads. It's like the day we met all over again, I'm out of my element with Link watching me so closely. I hate that he distracts me so, but at the same time, I really don't mind it at all.


	26. The Golden Arrow

Chapter 26

The Golden Arrow

Zelda's PoV

Link and I stand down by the lake in each others arms talking after a kiss and just as I laugh at something he says, a loud shout fills the air startling us both. I end up jolting forward and bang my forehead into his and we both cry out in pain. The air is filled with hysterical laughter then as I hold my hand to my head and look to my right. Midna stands there, keeled over with one hand on her knee and the other across her stomach. Link and I both give her dirty looks as she straightens.

"Did you have to?" I growl.

"Yes." She answers, smirking. "Come in the house now if you want me to help you with your disguise makeover, since I assume you are going today. Unless, of course, you want to go as yourself."

I tell her I'll be right in and she spins on her heel and walks away. I look at Link and he's holding his own forehead. I move away from him, but Link wraps his arms around me and pulls me tight to his chest instead.

"Not yet. I won't be able to kiss you all day with that lipstick on." He says, and I giggle before I kiss him and stand there for a few minutes before I push away regretfully.

"You don't have to go today, Zel. I'm sure Anju would love your company around the house."

I make an exaggerated scoff. "And miss you making your big moment as Golden Arrow Champion? I don't think so. I want to be there for you."

"Thanks. That means a lot."

I smile and kiss him once more before I go into the house, not ready to become someone else again, but having no choice in the matter. I was lucky yesterday that nobody realized who I was, but I won't be today if I am not extremely careful. Everyone will be looking for my face today and that scares me, but I'll survive just like yesterday. I ask Midna to make my makeup a bit heavier and to get me a new shirt, because I absolutely refuse to wear the same one again, and she rolls her eyes and complies. We change up the rest of my outfit with some new accessories. I now wear a black choker necklace with a black heart pendant on it and a thin leather armband that goes from wrist to elbow on my right arm. Midna braids my hair with more tiny scalp braids than yesterday, braiding the middle back in a bigger section before making a teased ponytail that poofs between the hair ties down my back. She outlines my eyes more, making a swoop with the eyeliner at the outside corners and glues two rings around my right eyebrow, overdoing it on my ears and giving me the same fake piercings on my nose and below my lip as yesterday. I ask her if a lot of girls dress like this in Tanagar City and that's where she got the style, since nobody dresses like this anywhere I've ever been, and she shakes her head saying it's her own thing. Before I leave the bathroom, she teases me saying "Looks like you two lovebirds worked it out last night." I nod, smirking as I walk out.

Link gives me an even stranger look than he did yesterday when I walk into the living room, and I laugh. "Last time, I swear." I tell him, wiggling my eyebrows.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

I'm glad that the shirt Zelda wears today at least covers her stomach and a bit more of her breasts, though the shorts still hardly cover her. I might not have to watch as many men giving her looks like they want to eat her alive, give them scalding looks for their lingering stares. I saw a few guys reach out toward her yesterday and I swear on my life if anyone actually touches Zelda like that today, they'll have an arrow up their ass.

I come across a random revelation as we walk to Hyrule Coliseum, holding hands. If Zelda is Sheik, that means…"Huh. Hey Zel, I guess I am good enough to be a Golden Arrow Champion, with how easily I won the Hateno Village Archery Contest."

Zelda stops walking and I do as well, turning toward her. She gives me and offended look, pulling her hand from mine and crossing her arms across her chest. "Only because I wasn't on the top of my game that day. I was...um..." She trails off, looking around as if that will help her come up with an excuse. When she looks back at me, I give her that special smile of mine, like I did that day when our eyes met for the first time. Her face flushes bright red and I laugh shortly before finishing her sentence for her.

"Distracted. Like you said last night; I distract you." I say, stepping close to her.

"Shut up..." She mumbles, but her lips lift into a small smile before she steps around me and continues walking.

x.x.x

Zelda PoV

The four of us get a red Triforce stamp on our hands today after paying and I hold onto Link's hand tightly as we walk inside and he looks at me, wincing. "That's some death grip you have." He says, and I loosen my hand.

"Sorry. I'm just afraid...it's different today."

"Don't be. Just do what you did yesterday and you'll be fine."

"I'm not sure what that was."

"Walk like you own the world like I told you. Blend in and nobody will figure out who you are." Says Midna, putting an arm on my shoulders and Groose nods to me. He finally realized who I was this morning, shouting it to the entire house and everyone stared at him in disbelief, except Midna, who rolled her eyes and called him a slow Hinox.

"Stick with us, Zelda, and you've got nothing to worry about. I'll back you up." Groose tells me, and I smile at the both of them saying thank you, before I hug Link and he squeezes me. I may not know Groose well, and hardly really know Midna, but I feel like I have known them much longer than a couple of days. I'm glad I have them for support as well as Link, it makes me feel special.

"We'll be upstairs while you two wait in line." Midna says.

After they walk away, Link and I stand in the line for archery registration. Being in the middle of the people who will most potentially recognize me is a stupid move, but being close to Link right now is really helping me relax.

"I'm glad I have you today; it's terrifying to be here."

"Of course."

"I wish I were here for the first time, so I could have some fun and compete against you again."

"Me too." Link lowers his voice just above a whisper and speaks in my ear next. "To be honest, there might not be many here who pose a challenge."

I laugh and raise my eyebrows. "You sure are confident. You know, some of the best archers in Hyrule are entering this competition. Am I really the only other person you see as a rival?"

"Hmm...you might not be after today. I might have some fun without you."

I sneak glances at everyone around us as we slowly move with the line. I'm glad that I don't know anybody here and perhaps if I have forgotten them, they have forgotten me too. I roll my eyes at that idea as it's probably among the stupidest things I've ever thought. Yeah, right. I made history, nobody will ever forget me. It's a few minutes later when I think of something I need Link to consider.

"Link. When you win, don't give too much away. I hid who I was so I could live a peaceful, normal life. I want that for you too." I say, quietly, gazing up into his eyes with all the seriousness I can muster and he nods, promising me he'll only tell them the things that they need to know. I ask him if he knows what those things are, and he tells me to tell him, since I'm "all knowing." I stand up on my tip toes and wrap my arms around his neck before I tell him to keep his private life secret as it will certainly come back to bite him if he's not careful, and we both laugh at my choice of words.

As Link steps up to sign his name on the registration paper, I hear a voice behind me say something that makes my blood run cold. "Well, if it isn't that girl who won the Golden Arrow two years ago."

I don't dare turn around. I know that voice; I'd know it anywhere. It belongs to that arrogant, self confident, stuck up individual I barely beat when I won the Golden Arrow: Revali. Of all people to recognize me, he's by far the worst. I hear some people around us talking then and I ignore them, my entire body freezing up.

I bite my lip and clench my hands in front of my stomach, trying not to freak out as I hear people muttering and see them looking around. I quickly try to figure out what the best thing to do is, and I come up with pretend I didn't hear him and continue acting like anyone else. I hear Revali talking to me again, and his voice is louder now. Link looks at me and I glance at him with wide eyes, starting to lose it. Pretending: it's not working; I have to move. If I don't move, he will expose me in front of everyone. I can't have that. I need to get away. I have to. I do the first thing that comes to my mind. I move closer to Link, as smoothly as I can with my frozen-up, shaking limbs, and kiss his cheek and whisper to him, forcing a giggle to make it look casual, and turn and silently walk away, slipping through the crowd.

I want to run, but I force my legs to walk at a steady pace, just a little quicker than my usual gait. I hope Revali doesn't follow me, thinking he got the wrong girl after all. I pray to Hylia with all my heart that he doesn't start shouting Sheik across the coliseum, like I expect him to. I'm surprised he didn't call me Sheik right away. When I am on the opposite side of the room, I look over my shoulder slightly and relief passes through me when I don't see him, but I do see Link, who is looking around for me. I don't see Revali anywhere now, and I'm about to walk back over to Link when I see the pompous windbag to his left and our eyes meet for a solid second before he starts coming my way. My pulse raises up into my throat and into my skull as I full on lose it, freaking out. I turn and go up the stairs, once again forcing myself not to run. How does he recognize me?! I don't look like Sheik at all; Midna and I made sure of that. I'm halfway across the second floor when I duck behind a pillar and peek around the other side. I see Revali there, twenty feet away, and my heart is thudding against my rib cage. I also see Midna and Groose between him and me, however, and they are right next to the pillar I'm behind. I walked right past them in my panic to get away. Lucky coincidence, but I can't walk out from my hiding place or Revali is going to see me, so I call Midna's name just loud enough for her to hear me in the noisy coliseum, telling her to come over where I am. Once she's standing in front of me, I shush her and whisper-yell that Revali found me and is looking for me right now. "He's to your left. Rito. You can't miss him." She stares at me blankly, so I growl and give her glare. "I need a distraction! Get rid of him. Do something! Please! Hurry!"

"Okay, okay! Got it." She says.

I hear Midna shouting at the top of her lungs next, and everyone around us goes silent. She's sputtering nonsense, but I hear Revali's name being yelled and next thing I know, everyone rushes towards where she went. I risk a glance around the corner of the pillar as she keeps talking. She's insulting him now, and I have to hold my hand over my mouth because some of the things she says are so downright hilarious and spot on. I hear him shouting back at her and I suddenly fear making this much of a commotion will get her kicked out of the coliseum. I bite my lip and hold my hands in fists, locking my legs in place so I don't go over and ruin this distraction. Cool it down Midna, you've done enough. Thank you. I think, wishing I could send my thoughts to her telepathically. Luckily, she does stop and she and Groose walk up near my pillar.

"You're safe now. He's gone, his fans are now doing the distracting and he went down the stairs."

"Thank you." I say and hug her.

"No problem. That was fun. I haven't gotten to make a ruckus like that for months."

"There you are. I think the entire coliseum heard you telling off Revali, Midna." Link says, walking over to us.

"Awesome. I had to save Zelda and I made it fun. It's about time someone put that jerk in his place." She says, grinning.

The four of us hang around on the second floor while we wait for nine am, when the Archery Tournament will start. I sit on the floor with my back against the railing, listening to Link talk to Groose. They are discussing what it must be like to win and become a champion here, and I sigh to myself.

Link doesn't understand what winning the Golden Arrow means. We talked about it a bit last night when I explained better why I choose to live my life the way I do, but the way he talks now makes me feel he didn't grasp the entirety of it. But maybe things would be different for him; it's possible he might enjoy the attention and like being known. Selfishly, I also think of myself as I sit here; I'd never be able to hide next to him, but perhaps that would be okay. Maybe I might be okay with the world knowing me if I had Link by my side to support me and he fully understood what fame is like. I want him to experience the feeling of having his dream fulfilled, so as much as it scares me, I want him to win. I want him to feel that happiness I felt in that moment they announced me Golden Arrow Champion, but I don't wish the stress I get for it upon him. I'm sure I'm just a basket case though, since the other winners haven't seemed to care if the world is in their business, but then maybe it's the other way around and I am the only sane one.

I know Link can do this; he beat me in a contest, even though it was under a special circumstance that I wish he did not bring up again because I am proud of my accomplishment. I don't like that he made it sound like it's easy to be as good as I am, but he has serious skill that comes from the same type of hard work and determination that I live by, so I believe he has more than enough potential to win today. No matter how much it frightens me, I want Link to take the Golden Arrow more than anything. I want to be here as he makes his place in history by becoming the forty-third Golden Arrow champion.

x.x.x

A bunch of people start screaming and cheering ten minutes later and we all look down to the coliseum floor to see a familiar Rito standing there and shouting for attention. I take Link's right hand in mine before I move to stand behind him, so that if Revali looks up, he won't see me. I have a sickening feeling about what's about to happen and I close my eyes leaning my forehead against Link's back.

Please. Please no. Hylia, I'll do anything if you keep him from exposing me here. I pray, desperately. I'm not a worshiper, but I silently ask the goddess anyway as it's not the first time I've "prayed" today.

"Everyone! You should know that the girl you've all been wondering about the past two years is in Hyrule Coliseum at this moment! Sheik is hiding upon you and I hear...she isn't participating!"

Revali goes on encouraging everyone who is listening to search for me and pick me out so the competition will have all of its worthy candidates to make the show most entertaining. Link squeezes my hand in his.

"Zelda. Play along. Look for Sheik. If you keep hiding, he will find you." He says, just loud enough for me to hear. Midna grabs my arm and jerks me away from him when I don't immediately move.

"Do it. It's your only option here!' She hisses.

They're both right. I have to. I'm glad that so many people start talking at once just then, as it drowns out Revali's voice and maybe they don't hear him describing what I look like. As everyone searches the audience for me, my heart thuds in panic in my skull and I start to sweat. I stand up straight and put my hand on my hip and look around the coliseum, doing my best to look and act like everyone else. Several seconds pass by and I'm not sure how long Revali will wait for nobody, or worse, somebody to find me. I have to endure twenty more seconds of this before a woman's voice cuts loudly through the air and my heart stops until I hear what she's saying.

"I think you'd rather take me on, wouldn't you, Revali?"

Several people around me stop searching and turn around, looking for the source of the voice. I see a woman with red hair climbing up on top of the railing straight across the coliseum from where we stand. Several people gasp and go to grab her to stop her from going over it, but she slips down on her fingertips and drops to the first floor in a fluid movement that looks effortless and practiced. The maneuver actually reminds me briefly of when we were on the wall in Castle Town, when Link was climbing down from the watch tower. People point and gasp as the woman puts her hands on her hips and walks toward the middle of the floor with every eye in the coliseum on her.

"Wait a minute, that's-"

"Karane." Link finishes my sentence.

My jaw drops as several other people in the crowd begin to recognize her too, shouting and pointing down from where they stand. I can't believe it, I haven't seen her since I was ten years old. I'm shocked that she's standing out in the open like she is, looking as strong and confident as she did that amazing day, her presence known and surrounding her like an aura. For Karane to show up at this moment, it seems like a huge coincidence. It's ridiculous, but the thought of the Goddess coming to my aid comes to me, as if she's sent me an angel in Karane's form...Or maybe Karane just wanted to pick a fight with Revali. I'll take that explaination too. Either way, I look to the sky and put my hands together and whisper thank you.

Revali stares at her before laughing and bringing the tip of his wing up near his beak. "Well, well now. If it isn't the mysterious Karane herself? I'm looking forward to competing against Sheik again, but I do have to say that I am quite surprised to see you. The first woman in history to win the Golden Arrow shows her face after so many years and she wants to try her luck to best me? I'll take on your challenge, just don't cry when you learn my superior skills are high above your level."

"Shut your beak you over-sized strutting cucco. You're nothing but a bag of fluffed up feathers. Wait until you've won to act like a big shot. " Karane says, her arms crossed.

I hear several people from the crowd go "ooooh" in the low voice that is made when someone has made a good comeback or burn on someone's comment. They are both shouting their words loud enough for all to hear. My eyes flicker back and forth between Karane and Revali and the coliseum is so silent then that I can hear myself breathing.

"Cocky huh? You really believe that after all this time, an old lady like you still has what it takes to win?"

Karane steps up close to him and her eyes are looking so dangerous that I wouldn't be surprised if she rung his feathered neck for that comment. She really doesn't look that old, at most she's probably around thirty-five, and time hasn't touched her fierce beauty.

"Let's settle this, egg brain."

"What a weak insult, but one to be expected by a lowlife like you."

The emcee breaks the palpable tension in the air that I can feel even from twenty feet above them. "What a shocking scenario to come up! Karane! The first woman in History to claim the treasured Golden Arrow vs. the five time winning prodigy, bested by only by the mysterious girl named Sheik, Revali! A showdown between former Golden Arrow champions! "

I feel satisfaction and let out a laugh that the emcee mentioned me while mentioning Revali. I almost lost to him and even I'll admit that I was just lucky enough to get a slightly higher score. He's a sore loser and he confronted me before I got the chance to leave with my dad and sister. He said that he'd crush me the next year, but I wasn't here, and he won't be able to compete against me this year either.

Several men walk out on the floor and set up a bunch of targets for the two of them, and they discuss the terms of the "showdown" repeated by the emcee for everyone to hear clearer. The terms of their "Champion Showdown" are: The first person to hit the white on a target will be declared the loser, perfect shots to determine fate. Revali suggests they raise the stakes and they make a deal where they both have something to lose, and she agrees. If Revali loses, he has to give up partcipating in the Golden Arrow Competition ever again after this year. If Karane happens to lose, she must turn to the crowd and give up the identity she's been hiding for the last nine years to the entire coliseum, which is pretty much the same thing as announcing herself to the entire world. It's a dangerous deal for the both of them, but, in my opinion, Karane is losing out a lot more than Revali is. I'm afraid for her; she'll lose everything -considering she feels the same about fame as I do – if he comes out the victor. I'd never make such a ridiculous deal, but then again, I wouldn't go down and face Revali either. I admire Karane, but also find her mentally insane. Perhaps she's tired of hiding from the world. I know from experience that the lengths to do so can be exhausting.

Their showdown is long, the crowd counting up the number of bullseyes they each make, a man having to remove arrows from the twelve targets that have been set up several times. They talk as they shoot, jeering and insulting each other loudly and trying to throw the other off, adding to the tension that already exists. The hatred between them is crystal clear; it's in their movements, their stances, they can't wait to see the other fall in defeat. Eventually, we can even see them both shaking as they pull back their bowstrings, physically tired. Even with that, it still takes a while longer before an arrow hits the white and the crowd gasps as the emcee says "stop!" I can't see clearly, but the person who just shot stands with their bow to their side for several seconds before the judge comes over to take a closer look. Revali and Karane stare, their heads turning finally toward each other and then the emcee announces the winner.

"The winner of the spontaneous Champions Showdown is Karane!"

I breathe in relief as the coliseum erupts in laughter and screaming. We watch Revali stand there in complete shock, but I don't feel sorry for him at all, especially not after what he tried to do to me. It's not like he hasn't won the Golden Arrow five times already anyway, he could be losing more. Karane turns around and bows to the crowd before looking up in my direction, right at me, crossing her arms and staring. I finally understand, but I can't believe it. How did...she knew I was here? Well, obviously, me! Goddess…don't be stupid! But...I've never met her and she obviously recognized me somehow, but with how I look today, for the life of me I can't figure out how. I've seen my portrait down the wall below the second floor; the girl painted there just barely looks like the real me. Then the obvious hits me; she must have been here the day I won. I never considered the possibility or even thought of the chance that Karane was watching. I quit gaping at her and grin before I cup my hands around my mouth before I yell two words that don't even come close to filling my gratitude towards her:

"You're amazing!"

x.x.x

The four of us move to a new spot on the second floor where it will be easy to see how well everyone does. We joke around until the emcee announces the formal beginning of day two and calls the archery contestants down. We all wish Link good luck and I kiss his cheek before he goes, telling him to kick ass. He grins before walking away.

"I wonder how long it will be till he finds out about those purple lips on his cheek." Groose says, snickering.

"Considering he doesn't know." Midna adds.

"Maybe he'll wear it all day. Don't tell him." I say, winking, and they both burst out laughing, agreeing not to. I enjoy the idea of Link having no idea, but I love the thought that he might be wearing it proudly; as unlikely as that might be.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

I've never actually entered this competition before, but I've watched it numerous times. I listen to the emcee rile up the crowd and call the names of each participant until mine is called tenth. Not even half of us have taken to the first target round and I'm already up against some serious competition. There's at least one person from each race that shows promise. Rito Village's stuck up, arrogant star stops in my path as he walks past me, having just taken his turn showing off to the crowd. I've never actually met Revali, but from watching him the past few years and then the stunt he pulled to find Zelda not even an hour ago...it's safe to say that the guy disgusts me. I've had more than a few murderous thoughts toward that vain-glorious prick today.

"Next up is Link, from yesterday's sword tournament. He didn't quite have what it took to take the title there, but does he have the talent to be steal the title of Golden Arrow champion?"

The crowd recognizes me and they clap and shout my name, getting riled up. Before yesterday, I never imagined what it would be like to have so many people rooting for me; it feels great. I look around standing in the spotlight with my golden feather bow in my hand, the metal gleaming blindingly in the sunlight from the open coliseum roof. It's such a pressuring experience to be standing with hundreds of people watching you, which is honestly the reason I haven't entered before. But this year, I decided that I would get over that nervous lump in my gut.

I raise my bow and pull an arrow from my quiver, then make easy work of sailing fifteen nearly perfect shots into the targets for round one. I catch Revali staring me down as I walk back under the second floor with everyone else, but I ignore him. I feel satisfaction in knowing I've already caught his attention enough to warrant such a distasteful look, being recognized for my skill by a very accomplished archer, even as much as I hate the guy. The rest of the participants take their place in front of the targets before there's a short break where the targets are set up differently and more are added. The emcee announces who the top twenty of the forty are to go on to round two of the competition. From there, it gets more difficult by the round, and five people are cut from the third and fourth rounds each. I really have to give it my all and barely make it through to the top ten by the skin of my teeth, being the last name called for the final round. Of the final ten, five of the competitors are women now, even with the men. If this was how difficult the competition was when Zelda participated, she's a lot better than I thought and I'm even more impressed with her talent. I'll probably always feel less superior in talent with her if I don't win today.

The final round has targets that slide back and forth, up and down, or rotate and spin on wooden machines. There are also several scattered targets of different heights and distances spreading out on both sides of the wooden contraptions. There are thirty targets and we are each given thirty arrows. For every red bullseye we land, it's ten points, and each circled line from there on out decreases by two points.

I watch each person shoot, and I have to not let how well they are doing get to me. I was confident when I got here this morning, talking to Zelda, but now I'm starting to doubt my ability for the first time. I also really think about what it must be like to win in detail, to become famous. Zelda treats it as the world's worst burden and I can understand why. She told me more about why she regrets entering last night, how winning changed her life and fame became something she didn't want. She says she lives her life watching her back, being careful with what she says, and keeping away from others just so she can feel safe. If that is what fame is like...do I really want it?

I hear Zelda's voice shouting down to me then, cheering me on. I look up and search the crowd until I find her, which takes a while with her disguise. The grin on her face and her words reassure me. She blows me a couple of kisses and winks, which makes me laugh and my nervousness dissipates as I see her laugh too. "Thank you." I whisper at her and, whether or not she understands my lips, she nods, leaning on the railing.

Even if fame is as bad as she tells me, I feel I can handle anything in this world with her by my side. If I win this, I'll also understand what it's like for her a little more. But...I will also be shining that spotlight on Zelda, who has been hiding from it for two years, and she won't be able to hide anymore. She'll certainly be exposed as Sheik, maybe even as Zelda. Does she know that? I bite my lip and burn that thought. I'm sure she must understand what me claiming the Golden Arrow today will mean for her. But she was so encouraging and happy for me this morning, genuinely excited to see me compete for history, so she must really be okay with that. I decide I'm going to do my best and win this, not only for me, but for her. I know Zelda won't forgive me if I don't give this my all, and I personally won't forgive myself. I'll certainly end up regretting it, especially after making it this far in the tournament.

The emcee announces Revali and the coliseum roars as he walks up, spreading his wing out to the side and looking around, waving to his adoring fans. Maybe if I had much of an ego built up with being a multi-year Golden Arrow champion I might be the same, but then Revali turns and looks over his shoulder at the rest of us with a disgusted look that practically tells us he sees us lower than dirt on the ground, and that thought is disintegrated to ash.

No, I wouldn't. I don't think I could even fake being that self-centered.

The Rito have one rule they must abide by on top of the regular ones: no flying while shooting the targets, as it gives the other races a disadvantage. Revali gives the audience an entertaining performance regardless. He runs around in almost a dance inside of the circle we are given to shoot from as he hits the targets at a quick pace, slowing down for the moving ones, all and all making it appear effortless all the while. The crowd roars when he finishes the target course. He puts his bow on his back and takes off, flying around the coliseum close to the audience floors and everyone goes nuts, reaching their arms off over the railing shouting, screaming, and yelling. He lands after a few circles around the coliseum and bows in every direction, saying "Thank you, thank you, that was thrilling, wasn't it?" I just watch and cross my arms, waiting for the end of his self-indulging behavior. I look to my right and left and I am relieved that I'm not the only one of us ten that looks displeased with him. The emcee finally ends his crowd pleasing by saying "A wonderful show from everyone's favorite Rito! Thank you Revali, but sadly, we must get on with the tournament." The audience laughs and Revali looks over to the announcers' booth - which is located on the second floor on a small balcony - and gives the emcee a smug look before giving his fans one last bow and finally walking toward the rest of us.

The judges stand up from their chairs and walk around, taking a look at the targets and marking on their clipboards, like they have been the whole tournament. The arrows are removed from each target before the emcee gets the okay to move things along.

My name is finally called and I take a deep breath to cool my composure. Just before I go to take my place, I hear the words "Don't freeze up now. If you do you may as well quit." I don't need to turn around to recognize that voice and I don't bother paying him any mind, determined to pass him up and do well enough to earn the Golden Arrow. I look forward to seeing the look on Revali's face when I beat him. I regret not seeing his reaction when Zelda stole his thunder. Defeated by a woman, which must have been humiliating for the type of guy he is, as I've heard Revali has no respect or appreciation for the ladies who are not Rito. I imagine he gave Zelda hell for taking the title from him when she won. He had been the titles current holder for four consecutive years; not that he didn't reclaim it last year.

I stand and take a breath with my eyes closed, readying myself mentally before raising my bow and arrow, looking up quickly to where Zelda is and see her grin and give me a thumbs up.

I pace myself evenly between each of the targets, lining up and calculating them all before letting each arrow fly, hitting each bullseye dead center. The left side of the audience chants my name with their applause once I've hit ten targets; people screaming and shouting encouraging lines. I smile as I shoot, but make sure to keep concentrated on my task. I leave the moving ones for last, giving myself an extra second to ensure each shot. My shots are not one hundred percent perfect, but they are still close enough. I hope the point deduction does not hurt my score badly. Perhaps the over-sized strutting cucco, as Karane called him, did not do as well as it looked. The audience chants my name as I look all around, scratching the back of my head and grinning.

x.x.x

The last few competitors take their turns before there is a break for the judges to prepare announcing the winner. I stand against the wall for what feels like an hour before a judge finally brings a note up to the emcee and he announces the top five. I feel a mixed rush of excitement and relief upon hearing my name. I'm not out yet and I still have a chance.

"Contestants! Please make your way to the center of the coliseum to await your results." The emcee says then, and I look up to see a piece of paper in his hand.

I hear our names being shouted as we walk up and stand next to the large square winners podium. "It was nice to compete against you amateurs, better luck to you next time." Revali says, just loud enough us to hear and striking a nerve with all of us. The woman next to me looks like she's about to punch him. I wish the audience heard him saying that; I'd love to hear everyone boo and insult him. They make us hold out for several minutes and the crowd starts becoming antsy and impatient, many people start shouting to get on with it and just announce the champion already. I agree; this anxious suspense is killing me.

I look up to where Zelda was and find she is no longer there, and neither are Midna and Groose. I see someone else in their spot now: Karane. She stands with her arms crossed and nods at me, pointing her finger to her left and I search the crowd until I see Midna's unmistakable orange hair and Zelda standing next to her. She cups her hands around her lips and calls out my name and follows that up with a cheer before she grins.

"Now...for the moment everyone has been eagerly waiting for! The winner of the Golden Arrow is:" Our emcee pauses and several people in the crowd scream in irritation. I bite the inside of my cheek. The emcee laughs before he restarts the sentence.

"The forty-third champion of the Golden Arrow, at the world renowned Festival of Warriors is Link! Congratulations to a new face on the wall of champions!"

My jaw drops and the coliseum erupts in noise so loud it's literally deafening. A now familiar high pitched noise whistles through the air and the loud echo of fireboomers cracks high above my head, exploding in golden sparks that rain down.

I can't believe this is happening. I blink my eyes and sure enough it's not a dream; I'm really standing in the middle of Hyrule Coliseum and those words were really just said. I did it. I actually did it! I'm the Golden Arrow champion! The judges walk over to me and hand me a large trophy of a bow standing with a gold arrow leaning across it. I'm also handed a large wallet of rupees as they congratulate me again. I let out an ecstatic shout of my own as an overwhelming happiness coming over me, and hold my trophy above my head in my right hand, grinning so widely that my face hurts. I look up to Zelda and she is hopping up and down next to Midna and cheering as she looks down at me. She just may be as happy as I am right now.

I look to my right just in time to see Revali coming out of what appears to be distraught shock. It's a more satisfying feeling to beat him than I thought as he looks over to me, crossing his wings and tilting up his beak as he walks toward me and I lower my trophy arm.

"You were lucky to surpass my score, Link. Enjoy the fame for the short time you'll have to live it...for I'll be taking that title back." Revali says, thrusting out his wing to shake my hand briefly in good sportsmanship.

I shake, and I remember something he has obviously forgotten: Since he lost to Karane earlier in their showdown, he can't enter the Golden Arrow Tournament again. I don't say it; even if I hate him, he's already had that ego of his broken once today, and now there's this on top of it. I'm not the type to kick people when they are down. Revali looks at me for a long time before he turns away without a word.

I turn to my other competitors and smile. I get a few resentful looks, but no dirty ones. A couple of them say "Congratulations" and "Great job." I say thank you and tell them that it was fun to compete against so many amazing talents, and even the two men and woman who look upset nod at me.

I turn around and suddenly I've got Sheikah microphones stuck in my face as several formally dressed people, some with notebooks in their hands, start asking me questions all at once. Newspaper and radio reporters. I can't speak at first, overwhelmed with all of their words smashing together. I remember Zelda's words just then.

"When you win, don't give too much away. I hid who I was, so I could live a peaceful, normal life. I want that for you too."

I take a breath and wait for a couple of them quit talking before I speak. I tell them my name, that I'm from Kakariko Village, and that my favorite fruit is apple. A couple of them laugh and start talking to me again, and I only answer the most basic questions, refusing to give them personal information. One of the lady reporters asks something that makes me freeze.

"Who's the lucky girl who gave you those purple lips on your left cheek?"

What? I reach up and wipe my face, and sure enough, purple lipstick comes off on my fingers. I then remember the moment Zelda kissed me before I walked away, I hadn't thought twice about it at that moment. Wonderful, now hundreds of people have seen me with lipstick on my face. Why did nobody point it out? I sigh, not really mad, but I give the woman an annoyed look.

"I believe whoever kisses me is my business alone." I respond, flatly.

The woman pushes me for more information, but I slowly make my way through the reporters, having to shove a couple of them off. I call for the guards, who I know are standing nearby. I'm done answering questions today, these vultures have more than enough information. I want to turn and walk up the stairs as I pass them, but I don't, knowing I have no choice but to wait to reunite with Zelda and our friends. There will be plenty of time later for us to celebrate together later. Luckily, I'm able to walk out of the coliseum alone, as the royal guards block off the reporters who are following me at the doors. I'm actually shocked they let me leave like this.

I climb down the cliff that I think Karane uses to escape from the coliseum when she leaves, which is an easy task as there are handholds everywhere. I take my time to the bottom to the river below the bridge, stepping up onto a rock to hide for the time being. Zelda will know where I am since we talked about it on the walk here, back when I thought there was no possible way I'd win today.

If people come looking for me, I hope it's before she comes along, or everyone will see us together and they will find out who she is.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

During the final round of the tournament, someone taps on my shoulder and I turn around. My eyes go wide and my mouth drops open before I reel it shut again. Oh my goddess...it's Karane, standing there in front of me, whom I thought I'd never see again, much less meet, just earlier today. I've dreamed of meeting her since I was ten years old and I'm starstruck for several seconds and I try to speak, but this tiny, embarrassing squeak comes out instead. She leans forward closer to me and mutters quietly. I have to really listen to hear her as everyone around us is so loud.

"Your boyfriend is attracting way too much attention to you like an idiot, and you're also being stupid by giving him attention. You need to move before Revali - who's been watching him - puts it together if he hasn't already. You know that birdbrain will expose you."

I blink. I didn't even think of that, how stupid me yelling down to him is. I nod, turning and grabbing Midna's arm and telling her to follow me, and she gets Groose's attention. When I turn around, I see Karane disappearing through the crowd and I walk quickly in the direction she's going. When I get to the back of the crowd we were standing at, I follow her to the right and then she says to find a place over here and try not to attract attention to myself. I nod and thank her, for now and for saving me earlier, hugging her tightly. Karane hugs me back briefly before pushing on my shoulders.

"We'll talk later, just go and support Link." She says, winking, before she turns around and walks off. It's then that I wonder how she even knows we're a couple, but I shrug it off for now and make my way through the crowd. Luckily, the three of us are able to squeeze in by the railing so we can see.

"I can't believe that just happened." Midna says, and Groose nods, looking just as starstruck as I'm sure I do.

"You're telling me!" I exclaim, still giddy from meeting my childhood idol.

x.x.x.x

I'm literally jumping with joy when Link is announced Golden Arrow champion and I hug Midna and then Groose and they both laugh and hug me back awkwardly. I shout and cheer for him, leaning against the railing, and he looks up my way with the biggest grin on his face. I'm so happy for him I can't even contain it. I told him he'd win today and I was right. As the reporters surround him, I hope he's taking my advice while I watch him talk, unable to hear a word. I want go down there and hug him, but that would be the world's stupidest idea, so I just imagine doing it and plan to embrace him extra later. Link doesn't seem to be saying much, which is a good sign. I just hope that he's saying the right things. I'm glad when he gets out the coliseum okay and the guards do their job to protect him from the rabid reporters. I'm actually surprised they let him leave like that and nobody says or does anything about it. It was a lot harder for me to leave this coliseum the day I won. They didn't want to leave me alone, but being a woman who won the Golden Arrow tournament… I guess I did have special circumstances. Anyway, I'm glad that Link is able to get away from them.

Groose, Midna and I watch some of the strength contest even if I want to go after Link as soon as everything settles back down. Midna convinces me I shouldn't follow Link yet so I don't draw attention to myself, and I have to admit her advice is logical, so I wait, every second ticking by as if it's an entire minute instead. I rock back and forth on my toes to my heels impatiently until Midna says we can finally go. I have to restrain myself from running and leaving them behind.

"Zelda, stop walking so fast! He'll still be there five minutes from now." Midna says, practically jogging to keep up with me.

I laugh. I can't slow down; I'm too excited.


	27. Having Too Much Fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found a beta. :) No delays, yay!

Chapter 27

Having Too Much Fun

Link's PoV

I see Zelda before I see Groose or Midna, coming over the grassy hill above where I sit under the bridge. When she sees me, she starts running through the grass yelling my name, a huge grin on her face. I stand up and spread my arms. She barely slows down as she reaches me and I stumble backwards a few steps as she knocks me off balance. Zelda throws her arms around me in a hug, letting out an excited squeak before pulling back and planting her lips upon mine. I kiss her back as I wrap my arms around her tightly, picking her up and making her giggle before setting her back down. Zelda pulls back from our kiss and squeaks again, her eyes literally sparkling with delight before speaking.

"I knew you would win! I knew it! I'm so happy for you. Congratulations Link!"

"You helped me do it, Zel. I don't think I could have done so well without you. Thank you for being there for me today. I wouldn't have had the confidence or the ability to keep my head together without you there cheering me on."

She smiles warmly and kisses me again. "How could I not? You're amazing! You made that tournament look like a piece of cake."

I laugh. "I was anxious on the inside, don't worry. That did change when I saw you up in the crowd, though."

"Looking up at her so many times was beyond one of the stupidest things you could have done." An unfamiliar voice says, and Zelda pulls away as we both look around. We all stare as Karane walks toward us and stops with her arms crossed. "You almost gave your girlfriend up to the vulture. Revali was watching you and you were watching Sheik here. Are you an idiot?"

The words bite and I'm about to make a retort, before I realize how right she is. He saw her with me when we were standing in the registration line this morning, it wouldn't have been hard for him to put two and two together. Looking up at Zelda with Revali by my side was a moronic move. That's pretty much like pointing her out to him and saying "Hey dude, she's right there!"

"That was pretty stupid, but Zelda was yelling and drawing attention to herself too." Midna says, and Karane looks at us funny before her eyebrows raise and she looks at Zelda.

"Ah, I see. You're pretty smart going by an alias. It makes sense actually. I've always thought your name was a little odd." She turns her attention back to me before she continues talking. "Let's ditch this place before everyone sees us here. Trust me, you don't want the press seeing you with Sheik...I mean Zelda, and your friends."

We all agree and start walking under the sheer cliff below the coliseum, making our way behind it. Zelda stutters out a conversation with Karane as we walk, thanking her again for saving her twice.

"No problem. When I saw that annoying beakface down there and then you directly across the coliseum, I could tell you didn't want to be found. You've been hiding yourself this whole time and by the obvious disguise you're wearing, you want more than anything to keep out of the limelight."

"How did you know I was Sheik? I don't even look close to how I did that day."

"The same way Revali did? You may have a ton of makeup on and a great disguise, but you have some pretty recognizable features. Besides, I could never forget the face of the girl who put that prick in his place. You impressed me." Karane says with a smug smile.

Zelda's jaw drops open and she stares with a shocked expression for several seconds. I can imagine what this is like for her, talking to the woman who inspires her as an archer and getting a compliment like that. She's looked up to Karane for most of her life.

"You alright there?" Karane teases her, and Zelda finally blinks, nodding her head.

"S-sorry. Thank you so much! I never-" She clears her throat. "I never thought I'd meet you. Thank you! I mean um...good?"

Karane throws her head back laughing as we all crack up. She puts her arm over Zelda's shoulders. "Relax a little, will ya? I don't bite. I'm actually happy to meet you as well."'

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

As we walk, I learn that Karane is just as normal as the rest of us and my starstruck awkwardness slowly fades away. I don't know what I actually expected to find in her, but I never imagined I'd be standing face to face with her either.

We walk for a while until we find a shady spot behind the cliff below Hyrule Coliseum. It's afternoon now and the sun is boiling, I wish we were back at Anju and Kafei's house already so I could jump in the lake. Groose and Midna ask Karane about herself, but like I expect, she answers vaguely and doesn't really tell us anything. The most we do learn is that she has a husband, but we don't get to know his name. I ask her about the day she won the Golden Arrow and what it was like to be the first woman ever.

"Indescribable, like I'm sure you know. I knew just by the way everyone shouted my name and looked at me that I'd be like a lab rat under a microscope if I stuck around. I never wanted that life; I just wanted to be remembered."

So I was right, she did run and hide herself for the exact reason I've been thinking of all this time. "You inspired me that day to become the best, I got the idea to go by Sheik from you, since I, and many other people, think your name is fake and that's why nobody can find you."

"I've heard that, but you're all wrong. Karane is my name and always has been."

"Will you tell us how you escaped from sight that day?"

Karane shrugs. "If your friends here can keep your secret, I don't see why not. I had it all planned out. I'd win, ditch the press, then escape the coliseum and then scale the cliff in front of the doors before anyone saw me. A certain little brat got in my way, however." She pauses and jabs Link in the rips with two straight fingers, making him cry out in surprise or pain, maybe both? She gives him a hard stare. "He almost ruined my perfectly planned out escape."

"So, you do recognize me." Link says.

Karane scoffs before she laughs. "Of course I do! You almost ruined everything for me! There I was, feet away from freedom, and there you were, standing in my way! You're lucky you weren't a completely moronic little korok and listened to me, I may have hunted your little ass down."

I stop walking and stare at the two of them as our friends do the same. I honestly did think that Link might have been making up that story when he told it to me on the Great Plateau, it was too good. I glance at Midna and Groose and they both share a look of complete disbelief before they simultaneously spit out the same exclaiming question.

"You know her?!"

"Not really. I only met her for a couple of seconds. I distracted the reporters while she hid behind a tree." He says proudly, before Karane continues telling her story.

"I hardly made it over the cliff edge, I still have no idea how nobody saw me. I had to drop down and descend quicker than I usually would. I almost fell twice. I heard them searching for me so I hid under a small ledge on the cliff face until their voices faded away and got out of here quickly."

x.x.x

We walk all the way up next to The Great Plateau, which must take an hour on foot, to make sure we are not followed by anyone. Karane splits ways with us there, saying it's been a few years since she's been up on the plateau and she's curious about the wall of names I tell her about as we approach it. I'm sad to say goodbye to her already; it's been very fun and amazing to spend time with her, but Karane assures me that we'll meet again sometime. I ask her if I can hug her again and she embraces me tightly in answer. I thank her again generously for everything she did for me, as if it weren't for her, my life might have changed today from peaceful to chaotic.

"Looking out for you was a pleasure, Zelda. Take care of yourself." She says, with a grin, before turning and walking up the stairs of exhaustion to the top. I'm glad we are not going up there too; I don't have it in me right now with the heat pouring down on us. My legs hurt from walking so far already. I really do need to walk more instead of riding my horse, maybe I might not be so exhausted right now. We start making our way toward Anju and Kafei's house, and we stop in some shade when Groose suggests we take a break. We all collapse ungracefully in the grass and I sigh, closing my eyes and rubbing my calves.

"It's too damn hot." Groose says, and we all mutter and groan in agreement. "I can't wait till we get back, I'm going to jump in the lake."

"Why'd you have to mention water? I'm so thirsty now." Midna whines.

I agree with her, I feel lightheaded from the heat. We lay there until we can all stand up again then slowly trudge on, the road feeling like it goes on forever even if we only need to walk about half a mile more. Once we see Anju and Kafei's house I feel my strength coming back and the lake beside it looks like a haven. Ten feet from the water, Groose suggests we all jump in together so the four of us join hands before running and jumping in on three, fully dressed except shoes. When we resurface with relieved sighs, Midna and Groose start laughing when they look at me.

"Your makeup! Oops!" She gasps.

"Yours too!" I say, pointing my finger at her.

We both laugh before I take a deep breath and submerge, scrubbing at my face with my hands. Midna tells me when my face is mostly clean, and I do the same for her as she washes her own face. I look at Link, who is in the middle of a water fight with Groose, and l'm glad he isn't paying attention to me. I guess it doesn't matter either way, but even so, I'd just like to always look good in front of him when possible. Midna and I join in on the water fight for a little before we float on our backs. I know I'm crisping under the sun, but I don't care right now. Sunburn? Bring it on, the water feels so refreshing and it's not like I don't have one already from walking a couple of miles today. Soon, I get out of the lake as Kafei walks toward us.

"Welcome back, guys. How did the tournament go?

"You're looking at the forty-third Golden Arrow champion." Link answers, sounding smug as he points at the golden trophy Kafei apparently hasn't noticed gleaming in the sunlight.

"Whoa! Incredible! Congratulations dude! I think this calls for a celebration."

"Hell yeah, it does." Groose says, bringing a tidal wave of water into Link's face.

x.x.x

Inside the house, we tell Anju the good news and she shrieks in excitement, jogging over and putting her hands on Link's shoulders. "Congratulations! What an honor, I have two Golden Arrow champions in my house!" He laughs and says thank you.

Kafei volunteers Link and Groose to go out hunting for a celebratory feast, but neither of them look like they want to go back outside. Anju snaps them to attention by putting a hand on her hip and pointing her finger in their faces with a scolding tone and they obey like children. As soon as they walk outside I tease her, I can't hold it back.

"Uh oh, the motherhood hormones have already begun. Watch out for the crazy Anju! Poor Kafei, she might eat him alive!"

"Zelda! Shut up or I'll go keese nuts on you next!" Her face isn't even straight for a second before she, Midna and I are laughing in the kitchen.

x.x.x.

Link's PoV

Back outside again already. You'd think I get a break today after making history, but of course not. None of us really want to go hunting, it's too hot. I ask them how duck sounds when I spot a few floating on the lake surface and I get no complaints. Groose says that meat is meat and Kafei says that Anju will be happy because duck is her favorite. I aim and shoot two of the birds, then get nominated to swim and retrieve them since it's my kill. I groan, but jump in the lake and get the ducks. On the way back to the house, we also catch six hyrule bass and gather some mushrooms, carrots, and some apples. Kafei nods his head to me and looks at Groose's back, gesturing with his hands in a pushing motion and I nod. He screams like a girl as we shove him into the lake, creating a huge splash that hits us too. Groose curses loudly at us when he resurfaces and we both laugh even harder.

I smell the delicious scent of baking apples when we walk back inside the house and my mouth waters. I'm excited when Zelda announces they have an apple pie baking since it's my favorite. I grin, knowing it was her idea.

"Special treatment, huh? Sweet."

"Well duh, today is for you."

Me and Kafei prepare the meat for cooking before we roast fish and duck skewers over the large fire pit that's covered by a steel grate on the side of the house. Zelda and Anju make veggie and meat rice balls to go with the skewers. Midna goes and gets her Sheikah radio, hanging it on a tree branch before cranking the volume knob all the way up. We sit on blankets laid out in the grass, eating, making stupid jokes and telling ridiculous stories. We all laugh recalling Karane's many – she added several as we walked to the Great Plateau – nicknames for Revali and told us all about how winning against him in their random showdown was a blast. A buzzer goes off inside the house and Anju says the pie is done, so she and Zelda go inside to get it, coming out with plates and forks a minute later. It's some god damn delicious apple pie, probably the best I've had yet. I tell Anju that and she waves her hand saying I'm exaggerating, but she thanks me with a smile.

Zelda and Midna sing to the radio using a skewer stick with an apple on it as a pretend microphone. They sing all the words wrong, which is a lot more amusing than I'd have ever thought. We're all laughing like maniacs as Kafei and Groose come up with some lines. A short while later, a slow song plays and Zelda asks if I'll dance with her. I say sure, and we get up and stand in the grass, closer to the radio. She wraps her arms around my neck as I take her waist.

"You really are incredible, Link. Watching you during the tournament was a lot of fun, especially with how mad you were making Revali. Did he say anything to you down there?"

"He tried to get under my skin before I took my place for the final round, but I blew off his words. He said a few things that pissed me and the other contestants off after that. I swear the Gerudo woman I stood by was ready to strike him for talking to us like garbage. If only his fans could have heard him."

"He did that to me too. I believe he might have wanted to pick a fight with me after I won. I humiliated him, but so did you, and Karane!" She grins widely and we both laugh, it actually is a great accomplishment. "It's really too bad he won't be participating again." Zelda says, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "Karane really is a genius for making those terms for him, but I would have felt so bad if she lost...we all know she did that to help me. I'm still so amazed that she was willing to put her own privacy on the line to protect mine, she's so brave. I love her even more as a person now."

"She's a great person to look up to, Zel, I'm glad you got to meet her. I'm also glad that I got meet you: "Sheik."

"Hey lovebirds! You two up for some alcohol? I think today is worth drinking to." We hear behind us, and for once, it's not Midna interrupting us, but Kafei.

"Well? Want to get drunk today?" I ask her, half joking.

"I'm down for getting a little messed up." Zelda says, pushing gently against my chest and I let her go so she can turn around. "Midna, do you have any of that..I forget what you called it...left?" She asks, her voice mischievous. I shake my head as I stand behind her, this is not going to be good.

"Not for Cuccos? Hell yeah I do. This will be a real party now." Midna answers, grinning wickedly, before getting up and jogging into the house. Kafei follows her inside to grab some shot glasses as Groose yells behind them to bring the honey milk too. I'm honestly glad he says that, because not even I have the guts to swallow that without some throat extinguisher and I'm quite the drinker. Or I was, before I met Zelda. Whatever that liquid fire of hers is, it's quite potent if it can give me a little buzz with only one shot. Not to brag, but I say that considering my tolerance to alcohol is quite up there.

We all hold up a shot glass of Midna's "not for cuccos" a few minutes later. Anju also toasts with us with a shot glass of non-alcoholic honey milk, since she's pregnant, so she's not left out. We don't warn Kafei about the burn before we count to three and drink together and we're all laughing as we cough as he gags and spits a moment later, his eyes watering as he clutches his throat. I imagine this is exactly what Zelda and I looked like to Midna when she had us try it on the Great Plateau. Zelda hands him the almost empty bottle of honey milk after taking a quick swig of it herself.

"Hylia. I can already feel it. What is this?" Kafei says, a few minutes later, laughing.

Midna explains it's Tanagar City's strongest liquor and it's hard to find anywhere else except down the canyon, also mentioning it's actually called "Sweet Twilight." Zelda warns him that if he doesn't want to be running around and laughing himself in oblivion to watch how much he downs, mentioning just how wasted Midna and Groose got on only five shots each a few days ago. He doesn't listen, however, which Anju doesn't like by the look on her face, but she doesn't stop him as he asks for another shot. Zelda and I both down another after Midna talks us into it as well, backed up by Groose. I mess around with the guys and notice as Midna pours another shot and holds it out to Zelda. She takes it and throws it back quickly before grabbing the white bottle that sits in the grass and takes a drink, laughing loudly afterwards. Oh Hylia, she's gonna be quite a mess if she keeps that up. She's probably already getting there with how quickly I remember her getting drunk with Malon, and "not for cuccos" is a shit ton stronger than what she drank that day.

A little while passes and I notice that Zelda's dancing is a lot better than I remember it being at the Pumpkin Festival, less jerky moment and more sway. I have to wonder if she actually improved or if it's the alcohol in her system. Either way, I enjoy watching as she makes her way over to me, her cheeks pink. She moves close to me and puts my hands on her hips, smiling and wiggling her eyebrows. I step closer to her and she giggles as her hands slowly make their way up my torso and over my shoulders, her fingertips leaving a warm tingle in their wake. I can tell she's a lot more than just tipsy as she leans against me, her body rubbing against mine as she dances, but to be fair, I'm not all there either as my head is swirling a bit. We've both been drinking more, downing something a bit lighter that Kafei brought out of the house, deciding to go all out and not hold back. Midna grabs Zelda's right shoulder and pulls her back from me, making her stumble. She holds another shot glass out to Zelda, which I take from her hand instead and down it myself when Zelda reaches for it. I realize I shouldn't have after I do it, but it's better than Zelda getting it...maybe.

"I wanted that." Zelda whines, looking at me.

"No offense, but I really don't think you need it." I tell her.

"Neither do you, and you can't tell me how much I can drink, Link...That rhymed, get it? Drink, Link." Zelda giggles at her own words. I raise my eyebrows and laugh. Not at the stupid line I've heard about fifty times, but at the fact she said it. I've heard that from Purah the most as she's my number one drinking buddy.

"You don't hear yourself right now, Zel."

"Maybe not...but I'm having fun! We agreed to have fun, remember?" She says, her words slurring all over the place.

"Sure, but without more not for cuccos. Deal?"

"Aww." Zelda pouts, but her lips turn into a smile and she nods slowly a few seconds later. "Oh-kay." She says, before she takes my face in her hands and kisses me.

x.x.x

I'm not sure how much later or when we got here, but Zelda and I are in the grass under the stars somewhere. Zelda runs around singing loudly, before taking my hands and dragging me so we're spinning under the stars until she loses her balance falls over in the grass, our hands slipping apart. She rolls over on her back and starts laughing as I sit next to her, dizzy and laughing myself. Zelda pushes herself up and leans on her right arm, tracing my jaw with her fingers. She leans over and kisses me, her lips really slobbery, but I'm a bit too messed up myself to really care and I kiss her back. I lay in the grass and Zelda lays next to me getting her hand impossibly tangled in my tied hair and yanks, causing me to cry out in pain as she tries to get it free. I help her, my own hands fumbling in the dark. The stars above us are blurry blobs of light with my alcohol affected vision. I faintly feel Zelda's head on my shoulder as she cuddles up to me, her leg wrapping over my stomach as she settles down. I think about moving it, as somewhere in my intoxicated brain I think she might not do that if she were sober, but I'm too tired just then. I hear as Zelda murmurs something and I look at her to see her eyes are closed as her fingers brush against my neck. The night is silent except for the even breaths of air coming from her slightly parted lips, and I'm pretty sure she's asleep so I close my own eyes and pass out myself.

x.x.x

The sun blinds me as I wake up and I feel something heavy across my middle. I look down to see Zelda has her leg wrapped around me, but the rest of her body, including her head, is in the grass as she snoozes away. I turn my head and look around confused for several seconds. I don't have the slightest clue where we are and the last thing I remember is dancing with everyone to the radio and I certainly no longer hear it. I don't see the house either, but squinting in the sun, I realize we must be in Hyrule Field somewhere. I pick Zelda's leg up and let it down between us gently as I scoot over a few inches. I begin to sit up and it's immediately a bad idea as my head shoots with pain and throbs, making me groan loudly and drop back down in the grass, clutching my skull. Nope, I'm just going to lay here. I look to Zelda and see a few blades of long grass dancing in front of her nose as she breathes. There's a large amount of drool hanging from the corner of her lips, coating the flattened grass below her cheek. I smile involuntarily as I look at her, rolling on my side, shielding my eyes from the sun with my arm over my forehead. Zelda stirs from her sleep a few minutes later, her eyes opening slowly. She looks around groggily before her eyes find mine. We both say good morning and lay there for a little before Zelda moves to sit up.

"I wouldn't do that."

She hisses and lays back down on the grass, bringing her hand up to the back of her head. "Ow. I..damn, drank too much again, didn't I?"

"Just a little, but I did too."

Zelda lets out a little laugh. "As bad as me?" I shrug my shoulder, I really have no idea.

"My head hurts."

"That tends to happen when you drink too much alcohol."

"Oh shut up. Like you can talk." She says, but she smiles afterwards.

I reach over and take one of her hands in mine, rubbing my thumb over hers and she squeezes my fingers and closes her eyes. We continue to lay there for a while before Zelda attempts sitting up again, gritting her teeth and putting her head on her knees, which she brings up to her chest.

"Where are we?" She asks.

"I honestly have no idea. My best guess is somewhere in Hyrule Field." I say, sitting up beside her, wincing.

"We should probably go back to the house."

I nod and we slowly stand up, letting out matching groans of pain and holding our heads. Looking around, I see Lake Kolomo a short distance away and the house which looks so small from way over here. We walked a long ways for being drunk, we must be at least half a mile from there. Zelda walks with her hand on my shoulder as we, very slowly, start heading that way. About half way there, she suddenly grabs her stomach before falling on her knees and throwing up, holding herself up on her hands. I grit my teeth and reach down to hold her messy, poofed up, ponytail back, which has fallen over her shoulder, till she's done. Zelda wipes her nose and mouth before making a few high pitched disgusted noises and wiping her hand off in some clean grass excessively.

"Sorry...you had to...watch that." She says, spitting again before looking over her shoulder, her face red, eyes watery. "That's a first for me, walking across a field and...getting sick."

"It happens, don't worry about it." I say, forcing a smile. I help her to her feet and we continue walking, my own stomach turning and I hope I don't puke too.

Zelda washes her face and hands when we get to the nearest part of the lake, scooping some water into her palms and drinking it. Anju calls our names from across the lake and jogs over to us.

"Are you two okay? I was worried when you went off last night and didn't come back."

"Yeah, we're okay Anju. We just had a little too much fun." Zelda answers.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

Goddess Hylia, why did I have to puke? And why did I use my hand to wipe my nose and mouth? I almost threw up again seeing the remains on my hand. Disgusting! Ewwww!

Well...I guess at least Link was nice enough to hold my hair back for me. I'm still embarrassed, however, wishing it didn't happen. I don't really remember much from last night after we ate. I can recall bits and pieces; like dancing, throwing back a few shots, dancing with Link, but the rest of it is blank. What else did I do last night? Do I want to know the answer to that?

As we walk toward the house, we pass by Groose, who is passed out in the grass with a blanket thrown over him. Kafei is inside the door laying face down on the floor with a pillow under his head. Anju explains that it's as far as she could drag him and he wouldn't wake up. Midna lays on the couch, her left leg and arm hanging over the side as she drools on a throw pillow. They both have blankets as well. I wonder just what fun Link and I missed when we apparently left the party.

I go in the bathroom. After I use the toilet and wash my hands, I look in the mirror at my pale face. My eyes still have remains of yesterday's eyeliner smeared on them and my hair is this giant fuzzball of braid on the top of my head. I grab my toothbrush from my little bag of toiletries sitting on the counter and brush my teeth twice before washing my face clean again. I take my hair down and un-braid it, fighting with the hair ties since they've gotten stuck and tangled in. I wet my frizzed hair down and I grab my hairbrush before I leave the bathroom and go outside to sit on the porch to untangle it in the fresh morning air. A few minutes later, Link walks out with a cup of water and hands me the bottle of pain killers he gave me in Castle Town. I take them gratefully and thank him with a smile. I love that Link just thought to offer them to me, just like he did that morning in the Cozy Cucco Inn, he's so sweet. I put my hair up in a ponytail again when I'm done detangling it.

As soon as everyone wakes up and gets their heads back to normal, the six of us sit on the porch eating yesterday's leftovers for lunch. Anju put the food away after she took care of Kafei, Midna, and Groose last night when Link and I, apparently, ran off laughing like psychos. I wish again I could remember what happened when we left. Anju laughs as she recalls what the other three did last night.

"I had to steal the liquor bottle from Midna, she tried jumping in the lake before I stopped her. Groose attempted to climb that tree over there." She points behind us. "He ended up falling with a girly scream, that was so funny to watch." She turns her head to Kafei and gives him a look, which he tenses up under upon meeting her eyes, before she looks back to the rest of us. "Kafei ran up the porch steps and tripped, busted his chin wide open, and passed out before I could even find out if he was okay! It was stressful, though hilarious, being the only sober one in a group of wasted crazies! I was relieved when you all fell asleep!" She exclaims.

We're all laughing so hard by now we can't even eat the food we're holding. That last bit answers the silent question I have about the thick bandage Kafei has on his chin. Maybe it was a good thing that Link and I weren't around, it sounds like she had her hands full enough already.

An hour or two later, Anju gives me a container of healing salve for the sunburn I'm rocking, saying there's some special herbs in it that will also help protect my skin from the sun. She hugs me tightly after we ready our things to leave. It's been wonderful to see both Anju and Kafei again after two years, but it's about time we leave my friends to their peace and be on our way, the Festival of Warriors finally over. Anju asks if I really have to go, also saying it's been so nice to have me around again, and we hug each other for long moment. "Sadly yeah. I still have most of Hyrule to see. But don't worry Anju, we will see each other again before another two years and I'll have a hundred new things to tell you."

"Next time, let's not have a drunk party unless I can have fun too." She jokes.

"Aw, okay." I say, laughing and giving her an extra tight squeeze that she returns. Anju whispers something in my ear that makes my cheeks blush bright red and I playfully smack her in the shoulder as I release her from my hug, whispering "maybe" back. I climb up into Starlett's saddle and Midna, Groose, Link and I all say a final goodbye before we start down the road.


	28. Endless Daydreaming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've found a beta. :) I wasn't expecting anyone but to my ultimate surprise I did get a few offers, haha. I forgot to mention that last week. Shouldn't be any awful delaying now!
> 
> Anyway...enjoy!

Chapter 28

Endless Daydreaming

Zelda's PoV

That afternoon, we part ways with Midna and Groose. I've only known the two of them for a small amount of time, but we've been through a lot together. I know for a fact I wouldn't have survived the Festival of Warriors without Midna; she's been a real lifesaver and I've grown to love her as a friend. Groose is really funny and an all-round positive guy. It will be sad to walk away as they've both been very nice company. The two of them want to travel to Akkala, and Link and I will be going the opposite way, since he wants to go drop his trophy off in Kakariko and brag to his family. It's painful saying goodbye to so many friends today, but when I look at Link that feeling vanishes. We're alone again, which makes my insides bubble up in nervous excitement. Things are way different between us than they were before we went to the Great Plateau and I'm eager to see how our relationship will evolve from here.

We trot our horses down the road and I hum my favorite song to the sound of hoof beats with a smile on my face. Link tells me I can sing nice and loud if I like, that he won't mind at all, and I blush before I say "okay!" I sing my heart out looking at the scenery. We talk about the Lanayru Wetlands, which Link says can be seen from Kakariko, off the viewing cliff. I didn't spend any time over there besides for the apple shooting contest during the Pumpkin Festival, so I'll have to check it out more this time. There's a lot I'll have to do in Kakariko now that I really think of it. We didn't do much of anything that wasn't Pumpkin Festival related, not that that wasn't fun, but I really want to see and experience what I missed last time.

We ride in comfortable silence as the sunset rests upon the horizon and I let Starlett take the lead as I enjoy it, trusting her to follow alongside Epona. We decide to stop for the night and set up camp near Proxim Bridge, where we camped out under the stars for the first time a few weeks ago. I still can't believe it's only been that long since I met Link; it seems like more time has passed with how many things we've been through and experienced together. Link takes a small, portable cooking pot from his saddlebag that I wasn't aware he owned, and starts a small fire with his knife and some flint. We fry up some mushrooms with some rock salt and eat them with some roasted truffles that we find growing at the base of a tree. I don't like the latter, but my stomach is whining at me, so I eat all of my share without complaining, washing each bite down with a swallow of water. I bake us two apples for dessert to get rid of the bitter taste of truffle from my mouth and savor the sweetness. I ask Link what he told the reporters after claiming the Golden Arrow, and he tells me that he didn't tell them much except for the fact that his favorite fruit is apples and I laugh.

"Really? I'm sure that's going to be in the papers. I can just see the headline "This year's Golden Arrow champion has a great love for juicy red apples!"

"I hope they write that, but I'm sure that your purple lipstick will bring up more hype, as they all really wanted to know who kissed me. I believe the reporter's words were 'who is the lucky girl who gave you those purple lips on your cheek.' I'm sure you knew that you left a smooch there, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I say, sweetly and giggling, before a colder feeling rushes to my chest. "You didn't tell them, I hope."

Link shakes his head and moves so he's sitting next to me. "That's our business. Nobody else needs to know."

I smile and lean my shoulder against his, resting my head against his neck as I look around us. A few glowing green specks flit around in the growing darkness as the moon takes the sun's place. Link wraps his arm around my waist and I feel that welcome tingle that always comes when he touches me, and smile wider as I close my eyes. Soon, we lay down in the grass on a sleeping bag, quietly stargazing. I'm about to fall asleep when Link says something he hasn't said to me before.

"Sweet dreams."

I roll toward him and snuggle my face against his chest before I whisper with a smile on my lips.

"Sweet dreams, Link."

x.x.x

Link's PoV

Just before we get to Kakariko Village, a thought pops to the front my mind again.

"Zelda, it's probably not a worry in Kakariko, but there's a high possibility that, if we walk into another town or village and I'm recognized, you might be too. Are you okay with that?"

"I have to be, don't I? I know that if I am near you it will be impossible to hide. I'm afraid of that, but you know, I'll be okay as long as I'm with you, Link." She says.

I can't help but smile at her words. We walk our horses up to Kakariko Stable, unload our saddlebags, and set them up with hay and water. I ask Zelda if I can borrow her backpack and she says yes, curious of why before she watches me stuff my Golden Arrow trophy into it before explaining that I want it to be a surprise, if everyone doesn't already know. She nods, grinning and telling me it's a great idea. We walk down into the village and strangely enough, not one person is outside. It's quiet until we get down to the village center and then the silence is broken as my name is suddenly shouted. I look up to see Aryll running down the stairs of Impa's house.

"Link! I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon." She says, hugging me like always.

"I wasn't planning on coming back, but something came up and I just had to come home to tell everyone. That is, if you don't already know."

"Know what?" Aryll says looking at me, confused, and I grin, pulling the backpack off my back. I guess the newspapers really don't travel as quick as I thought, and nobody from the village went to the FOW this year. I slowly undo the latch and the drawstring of the backpack as Aryll watches, and pull my trophy out slowly. It shines brightly and blinding in the sunlight.

"Whoa..." She says, putting her hands over her mouth, her eyes flitting between it and me, before she slowly lowers her hands. "No way, that's-"

"That's a Golden Arrow trophy!" A smaller voice shouts, and I look over to see Paya jogging down the stairs.

"Yes it is." I say, proudly, holding it up in the air as Aryll squeals and hugs me excitedly.

"I guess I can't pick on you anymore for thinking you're the best, because you really are! Congrats!" Aryll shouts as she lets me go.

"Wow! Congratulations Link! Can I see it?" Paya asks. I hand the trophy to her and her face lights up in a wider smile as Cado suddenly appears to my right and claps a heavy hand upon my shoulder.

"Well done, Link. I always knew you had it in you to become legendary."

"Thank you." Those words mean a lot from him, especially since he was my main mentor and instructor. Impa had a part in teaching Paya and me as well, but it was mostly Cado.

Impa walks up to us and puts her hands on my shoulders. "What a surprise. I don't think I've ever been prouder of you, Link." She says, hugging me, and I hug her back with a grin and I hear Zelda giggle. Impa says a warm hello to Zelda before turning to Aryll and Paya. She tells them to go give everyone the good news and to say we need a lot of food to celebrate a history maker. My sisters both nod with grins on their faces and Aryll grabs Zelda's arm as she goes, dragging her along.

x.x.x

Two hours later, everyone in the village is gathered on the large wooden deck outside Trissa's produce shop. Someone plays music on a radio and extra tables have been set up with plates, silverware and wooden sitting stools for the thirty-seven people who come down to celebrate my victory. Impa stands in the middle of the wooden deck and gives a speech in front of everyone about how proud she is of me, and I try to sink down into my seat in the middle of all the attention. I feel even more uncomfortable than I was when I stood in the middle of Hyrule Coliseum with five hundred sets of eyes watching me. Maybe it's because I've known everyone here my entire life. I'm glad when she tells everyone to dig into the food that we've all piled on our plates.

After everyone is done eating, most of us sit down on the grass in the village center. Everyone comes up and asks me questions. It's not all about the Golden Arrow either; several of the girls ask about Zelda and my relationship, and I let Zelda answer those questions and Aryll teases us both.

"I knew it. I knew that even if you guys weren't together when you came for the Pumpkin Festival, you'd become lovey dovey." She says, putting her palms together and nearly squeaking. "I'm so happy my big brother found someone great to be adorable with."

Zelda smiles at her before Aryll hugs me, telling me I'm the most amazing brother in the world. I tell her I won't forget she said that for later and she slaps my shoulder. In a break of everyone crowding me, Aryll and Paya sit with us and we tell them all about where we've been and what we've done. They're both beyond jealous of our time in Castle Town, getting to tour Hyrule Castle, and want every single detail of everything we saw. When they ask about Agitha, who they used to be close friends with, I say she is doing fine and nothing else, except answering the few things they ask. I'm glad Zelda doesn't bring up anything else as I'd rather leave all of that in the past even if it wasn't bad seeing her again, besides the whole "kiss" part. Paya asks me about what it was like participating and winning the Golden Arrow Tournament and I recall everything. A group of adults walk up and sit with us to hear the tale, as well as little Koko and Cottla, who sit on our laps and make little comments along the way.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I wander off while Link's friends and family interview and spend time with him. I take off my sandals and sit with my toes in the water at the little boardwalk pond with the mini goddess statue. I look over to where everyone is listening eagerly to Link, and I hear him laughing with everyone, gesturing with his hands as he tells a story. I watch him grinning with his family and friends around him and I'm happy for him, but I also feel a pang of sadness inside my own chest. I think of my own family; I miss them so much at times like this. A little while later, I smile to cover up my internal hurt as Aryll walks up to me and announces there's a chocolate cake over on the table, and we should go eat some before it's gone. I lick my lips as we stand up; it's been a long time since I've had chocolate anything.

x.x.x

I sit on the stairs below the house with Aryll and Paya, catching up with them. I tell them about our first kiss when Aryll asks about it, and both she and Paya squeal at the sweetness. Aryll asks me if her brother is treating me right and I tell her he's been a real gentleman, and she says "Good. Not that I think Link will, but if he ever does do something bad to you or hurts you, tell me. I'll make him wish he was never born."

I think that's a bit dramatic, a bit like something Purah would say, but I appreciate the sentiment all the same. I feel happy that Aryll really does like me because, out of anyone, she has the final say of how everyone treats and reacts to me as his girlfriend; being his little sister and his closest family. I know how much she means to him and it's clear that Link means everything to her, going by how she reacted to him hunting a bear for example. It's a wonderful and comforting feeling to be accepted by the one who loves him most.

"I will." I say, leaning over and hugging her. Aryll seems confused or something by my gesture at first, but she hugs me back tightly after a few seconds.

x.x.x

I go to the viewpoint area on the east side of the village after Impa comes over and tells the girls to do something. It's so much different standing here alone, unlike during the apple shooting contest that was held here. I walk up to the fence just before the cliff, climb over it, and sit down before taking in everything. The view really is incredible from here. I gaze across the Lanayru Wetlands and admire Hyrule Castle, framed by the mountains in the distance. If I had lived here growing up, I would have spent every evening out here. A voice greets me from behind just then, and their sudden "hi" in the silence makes me jump out of my skin and squeak in surprise.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, Zel." Link says, as I look over my shoulder to see him climbing over the fence. The late afternoon light makes his suntanned skin glow and I'm jealous, but I also admire how beautiful he looks. "I finally got away from everyone. I knew that that would happen, but it was more mentally exhausting than I thought."

"I told you it would be."

"Yeah...I know." He says, sitting next to me before looking off into the distance. "This used to be my special place. I'd spend hours throwing rocks off this cliff. It's the best view Kakariko has in my opinion."

"It sure is beautiful. I was just thinking of how I would have done the same thing. Well, minus the rocks. Are you a mind reader?" I joke.

Link laughs and shakes his head. "I think that's a fairly common thing to think while sitting here."

Link wraps his arm around me and I lean my head on his shoulder. The tips of mountains in the distance glow orange and yellow with the colors of the setting sun. Once all the light has faded from the sky and the moon starts taking its place, I stand up and stretch my arms over my head, my back cracking in a nice way. I set out a soft sigh as Link stands and steps in front of me. There's a warmth in his eyes that makes my heart stutter briefly as he steps closer. We gaze at each other for a long moment and I notice that his cheeks are a little red.

"There's nothing better than being by your side." He says, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I agree. I mean, being near you, too." I say, ditzy. Link just smiles and pulls me closer. I should be expecting the words he says quietly after giving me a soft kiss, but they take me by delightful surprise anyway.

"I love you."

Those words, the ones I've wanted to hear and have felt true, sound beautiful in Link's voice and a smile spreads across my lips as I feel a warmth spread through me, filling my chest. I kiss him and wrap my arms around his waist as he holds me tight. I almost forget to tell him how I feel, too. I pull back a few inches even if it's the last thing in the world I want to do, and gaze into his beautiful sky blue eyes.

"I love you, too. I'm not sure when that started but I just-"

Link grins and cuts off my rambling by taking my lips again and I feel a warm tingle throughout my body as I give in to his love completely. I can feel it in his touch. I feel it as he kisses me and holds me firmly, but so gently, his fingers rubbing softly against my back. I'm so happy I can't even contain it as I tremble, giggle and shake with joy in his arms.

x.x.x

I've secretly hoped to hear those words, to say them, but I've been too shy. It's a good thing that Link likes making the first move, since I've never been the type to kiss someone first or say "I love you." I'm glad he took the lead on both. Link and I walk up to the horse stable and change into our swimsuits. Normally, we would do what we did the day we left Hateno Village during the rainstorm: stand with our backs to each other, taking turns to change, but this time we take turns in an empty horse stall before we walk through the woods to the hot spring.

I'm still amazed by the glowing water that I remember Link having no explanation for when I asked, besides the whole fairy story he told me about last time we were here. I'm excited to step into the magical water as I've never gotten to sit in a hot spring before. We both let a heavy, satisfied sigh as we sink into the hot water; it feels amazing. I lean my shoulders back against the bank and close my eyes. If only I could do this every night. I already feel my sore muscles being soothed.

"This hot spring is incredible. Lucky you, getting to grow up with this spring ready and available every day."

"I do have to admit I miss spending hours up here. This is the first time I've enjoyed it with a girl who wasn't a sister, though." Link says.

"Really?" I ask.

He nods, lifting an arm out of the water and putting it behind my shoulders and I scoot closer, my thigh touching his underneath the water. I lose my breath for a second as my heart races.

"Yes."

"I guess that makes me special."

"Incredibly." Link says, bringing his other hand from the water and tentatively resting it upon my shoulder. I kiss him and then we're lost in each other, our chests pressing, skin against skin, except for my bikini top, as I turn and lean into him. His hands run over my shoulders and slowly down my back. Link's touch against my bare back is electrifying; it sets every little nerve I have on high alert with a tingling sensation. My heart beats wildly in my chest and I can feel Link's heartbeat as well, with my right hand on his chest and my other hand pressing against his back. My body suddenly feels too warm when I feel his hands inching their way down to my hips and the water is way too hot and I have to pull back, my face and neck and– practically everything – feel like they are red as an apple and hot as lava. Link gazes at me as we both breathe heavy and I lean back a little, breathing in slowly to catch my breath. I smile before looking down at the water, seeing the muscles of his abdomen distorted there and the glowing of his skin, shyness and embarrassment taking over me. I glance back up at Link to see he is looking at me with an expression between confusion and worry, but his face looks just as red as mine feels. I smile shakily and his lips rise up in a smile of their own.

"Too much?" He says, quietly. I hardly hear him over the beating of my own heart in my ears. I nod; the movement feeling as if it's draining every bit of energy I have just to tilt my chin up and down.

"It's okay." I say, wrapping my arms over his shoulders and he embraces me.

"We'll take it slow, alright?"

I nod into his neck and smile, my thoughts scrambling. I liked that, I really liked that, but I….freaked out. Why did I freak out? I want to scream! It's not like this is the first time I've made out with someone, or been touched like that even wearing a bikini…but it's Link, and my body seems to act differently than it ever has near him. I draw in a slow breath and let it out through my nose. I love the feel of his warm arms wrapped around me and the heat of his skin. I close my eyes and move my arms down, wrapping them around his waist.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

Zelda takes my breath away as she sits in the glowing water that illuminates her skin. How I got so lucky to find a woman so kind, funny, smart, selfless, considerate, respectful, and beautiful blows my mind.

"I love you." Zelda whispers in my ear and I smile, wrapping my arms around her tighter as I whisper it back.

I swallowed my nervousness earlier and told her how I feel about her, knowing from everything that's happened within the past few days that she feels the same. Regardless of how sure I was of it, I don't think I've ever been happier than I was when she said those same little words back with the world's most beautiful smile. I probably should have told Zelda what she means to me before today, but I think it's been obvious with everything that's happened recently. I wouldn't be surprised if she's been waiting for me to say it. The past few days, I've wanted nothing but to have her close to me, but with how distant she was acting because of her "sheikret," as Groose called it yesterday, I felt that I'd better give her space. I certainly don't want to give her any space now and I'm relieved that that distance has evaporated so that I don't have to.

Zelda feels so soft pressed up against me. When she kissed me, I lost control a little and my hands grew a mind of their own as I ran them all over the skin of her back and down to her hips. When she suddenly stopped kissing me and pulled away, I hoped I hadn't taken things too far as Zelda flushed redder than I've ever seen her and looked away. I'll take everything as slow as she needs. I never want her to be uncomfortable. We sit and talk for a while, enjoying the water. I have missed this, the aches and pains I've had for at least the past week are long gone after an hour of relaxation. Zelda asks if I know the location of any other springs like this one, and I tell I've heard there's one in Akkala. She says we will have to visit it too.

"How do you feel about a midnight horseback ride?" I ask.

"That sounds wonderful."

So we get out, grab our towels, and dry off before I take her hand and we walk back to the horse stable and change.

x.x.x

We trot our horses down the Lanayru Promenade, the cliffs lighting up with scattered deposits of luminous stone. Zelda's face is lit up by the same glow of her necklace as she looks around in awe. When we get to the bottom of the stairs leading up to the bridge of the upper promenade level, she tells me she wants to go up there, so we dismount our horses and ascend the stairs. We can see the glow of the rocks inside the hidden cavern through the waterfall.

"It's even more magical here at night." Zelda says, turning toward me." Thank you for everything, Link. For today, for being the most amazing person I've ever met, and especially;" She pauses and takes my hands in hers, looking up at me with so much emotion in her eyes that I'm lost for words, having her look at me like that. "-Thank you for asking me to travel by your side in Hateno. Meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me."

"You're welcome, Zel. That was the best decision I ever made." I raise our hands and kiss both of hers, before lifting them above my shoulders and letting go to pull her close for the umpteenth time today as she wraps her arms loosely around my neck. "I never knew it was possible to love someone this much. You're one of a kind."

Zelda giggles at my words, which I've made as sickenly sappy as I possibly could just because I know it will make her happy and bring forth that beautiful smile of hers.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

Today has been the most amazing day. I can hardly believe that I have someone to make me feel as special as Link does. I can tell he's overdoing it on purpose and it's the sweetest thing ever. There's so much love in Link's eyes as he gazes at me, the necklace he gifted me in Castle Town is lighting up both our faces. I never dreamed I'd have this type of love in my life and know, really know, that's it's genuine and real. I know it's ridiculous for me believe that when I'm only nineteen years old, but looking into Link's eyes, I can't imagine ever loving anyone more. He really is the most amazing person in the world. I feel like I'm in a wonderful, endless daydream at his side.

We stand up on the bridge for a short while longer before returning to our horses and continuing along the promenade. At the end we pass through the gate but once on the other side it's complete darkness except for the milky glow of moonlight under a clear sky of millions of stars. We dismount our horses and I lay out a blanket in the grass in the center of the small field surrounded by mountains. I cuddle up against his side and close my eyes, my head on Link's shoulder. I'm content to lay here forever as we are, never wanting this feeling I have to end. Link whispers to me and I let the sound of his words fill me up with bubbly warmth and my heart flutters upon hearing that word again. Love. He loves me. I knew that already, it's been obvious ever since that night we kissed on the Great Plateau Tower, but hearing it is something completely different. Link is so still that I think he might have fallen asleep before his voice breaks through the night air.

"Isn't Sheik the name of a male warrior?"

I lift my head and give him a look full of disbelief. I feel offended. What? Where on earth did he get that idea? Doesn't he know the historic tale? I clear my throat before I answer him.

"Sheik is the name a princess used in Hyrule's ancient past. She disguised herself and used the name as an alias. She was a wise and brave woman who risked her own life to help a legendary hero. Why would a man be called by that name?"

Link seems speechless as he looks at me and I tilt my head and stare at him, waiting for an answer.

"I...I don't know. It makes a lot more sense why you picked that name now."

A few minutes later Link asks if I will tell him the tale he apparently has heard wrong, choosing to believe me instead. I roll onto my back, telling Link my favorite childhood bedtime story as we gaze up at the stars, my right hand holding his left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the word "Sheikret" ever since jphw said it to me in a review (on my FF.net). To me, it could mean Zelda's "secret" or "regret," both of which are accurate for her feelings and stress over winning the Golden Arrow and I just love that so much.


	29. Lake Hylia

Chapter 29

Lake Hylia

Link's PoV

Zelda and I awaken early enough the next morning to make it back to the village as Impa and Paya cook breakfast. Aryll is walking down the stairs with her hairbrush in her hair as we walk in the door after one loud knock. We sit down at the table after Impa asks if we are staying to eat and I say yes. Halfway through my plate of eggs, rice and bacon, Aryll decides to be nosy and demands to know where we vanished to last night, also saying she thought I left without saying goodbye. It's times like this that Aryll really is like Purah, as much as she'll never admit it. Zelda gives her the short version of us taking a ride along the Lanayru Promenade, gushing about the luminous stones everywhere along the ancient, stone architectural walls.

"It was so amazing, and so romantic." She says, smiling at me and my lips turn up of their own accord as I look at her, making both my sisters turn to each other and giggle.

"You two are adorable." Paya comments.

"I guess you finally really did find yourself a sweet girl, Link. So, last night, did you two cuddle all night or do naughty things?" Aryll asks, putting her hands on the table and giving us a teasing look.

"No." Zelda answers quickly, her cheeks going red afterwards.

"No to which?" Aryll asks, smirking and leaning on the table toward Zelda. I wonder why Aryll even cares or wants to know, even if I'm hardly shocked that she asked such a question.

"The s-second part obviously." Zelda stutters. I find it interesting that she would be so embarrassed about that, but then, I don't want my nosy little sister or anyone else at this table having such information either. The table is silent then as Aryll keeps staring between Zelda and I, and I try to ignore her, chewing my food extra long between swallows.

A little while later after Impa makes me do the dishes, I ask Zelda if there's anything else she'd like to do before we leave and she says no, so I tell everyone we are going to head out and be on our way. Aryll steps in my way at the door and crosses her arms. She tells me that I never stick around long enough to spend time with her while I'm home, so she's not going to let me leave until we do something together. I sigh heavily and am about to speak when Zelda snaps at me saying that I should spend time with her and that she'll just find something to do while I spend some mandatory owed time with Aryll. I stand there with two sets of expectant eyes staring at me until I get an idea that we can all do.

"Okay. I know just the place to go."

x.x.x

We leave Kakariko Village a few minutes later on horseback, Aryll and Paya on their own horses. We make our way up to the fields above Kakariko and Zelda asks where we are going and I tell her it's a surprise, asking my sisters to keep their mouths shut about our destination -Aryll, Purah, Paya, and I used to go to where we are going a lot - and they nod, giving each other a heavy look that certainly holds some secret best friend-sister-mind-reading trick I'll never know. The hill we'll be climbing is quite steep, so we have to leave our horses at the bottom in a field. Zelda is against leaving Starlett anywhere, but Aryll tells her that her horse will be perfectly fine and I assure her it won't be for long.

We hike up a hill that gets steeper the higher up you go. Zelda complains that she didn't sign up for a hike this morning and I promise her that it'll be worth it. The four of us take a few short breaks on the way up and climb up a ladder bolted to a part of the mountain that's impossible to climb. Aryll makes Zelda close her eyes as she climbs up and I take her hands at the top, leading her safely to the flattest part of the rocky mountaintop. Once all four of us are standing there side by side, I tell Zelda she can open her eyes and her jaw drops open as she gets her first look at the view below us.

We stand at the top of the two mountains that make up the Dueling Peaks. She asked me yesterday if I had ever climbed to the top of the tall, sheer, twin cliffs being a "suicidal daredevil." I couldn't help but feel insulted and I answered her with an irritated of course not, that would be insane and asking to die. Anyway, it made me want to come up here again after so many years. I knew Aryll would be happy to go on an adventure with me and that Zelda would love seeing this.

"Welcome to Dueling Peaks!" I say.

"Whoa...really? We're really all the way up there?" Zelda asks, incredulously.

"We sure are. Great idea Link, it's been years since I've been up here!" Aryll answers.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

The sight from The Dueling Peaks nearly matches the one we had off the Great Plateau, I grin widely as I enjoy it. Randomly, I think of Tetra as we stand there and remember sitting on the mountain above Lurelin Village with her on many occasions. Our view from there was the sea, but I know she would love this. She would love everything that I've seen in the past year outside Faron Woods, I'm still sad sometimes that she wouldn't come with me. Aryll and Paya tell me a few stories as we sit on top of the mountain before it gets too hot. When we get back to the village, I tell Link that I want to see Hyrule from the viewpoint one more time before we leave, not that I'm in a hurry, so we walk over there. I end up talking about Tetra as she's on my mind from earlier.

"Why don't we take a trip to Lurelin so you can tell her about our adventures in person? You miss your sister a lot, it's obvious.

"I can't, Link. I made myself a promise. I'm not going home till I see everything that the world has to offer."

"You know that the country of Hyrule is humongous right? Who knows how long it might take you to see it all? Who says you can't see your family between now and then?"

I realize just how outrageous my self "promise" is, it sounds ridiculous now. I won't give him the satisfaction of giving up on it, however. I clear my throat before I answer. "I do. But I-" Link cuts me off, pressing on with his argument and I give him an annoyed look; I hate to be interrupted when I am talking.

"You wouldn't be going back home for good. You said you've been away for a year? That's too long to be away from your friends and family Zelda. A few months is too much for me to see mine sometimes, I don't know how you've handled so long without seeing them once. I'm sure they would be thrilled to see you now. Besides, I want to go to Faron again and I want to meet your family as you've met mine."

I want him to meet my family too, but I don't want to go home yet. I stare into his blue eyes and I feel my resolve to argue his points fading away quickly. I sigh, shaking my head again. Link interrupts my thoughts.

"You need to see them, Zel. You looked sad the whole time I was with mine yesterday."

He noticed? Right, of course...and he also sees right through me. I don't know whether to be glad or upset about that. I shake my head and Link puts his hands on my shoulders.

"I'm taking you back home, to Lurelin."

"No." I say, firmly. I don't know why I'm arguing, because the more I think about this, the more I want to go.

"I'll tie your horse to mine, throw you over my shoulder and carry you the whole way if I have to." I laugh at how ridiculous that would be before he continues. "I want you to be happy, Zel, and I really want to meet this amazing Tetra girl you always talk about."

I think of how my parents and sister would react to seeing Link walk into the village with me and my face and ears burn with a blush. Goddess, Tetra will be so merciless…especially with how I've wrote about him in my letters. I feel my face heating up more as I think about that. I recall how sad I was yesterday before Aryll came over and told me about the chocolate cake, and I have to admit he's right. I really do want to go home even if part of me is against it. I stare into Link's eyes for a long moment before I sigh exaggeratedly because I don't want Link to know how right he is. I don't want to give him the satisfaction. I still have some pride that I refuse to let die.

"Okay. But after Lurelin, we go anywhere I want to, deal?" I say, holding my hand out between us. Link nods before taking my hand and suddenly pulling me toward him. I squeak in surprise as his arms wrap around me and I giggle as he kisses my forehead before saying "deal."

x.x.x

Link's PoV

When we get back to the house, Impa is sitting at the bottom of the stairs outside. She says she needs to talk to me and tells Zelda that Aryll wants her to come up to the house. As Zelda walks up the stairs, I sit down. Impa waits until we hear the doors open and shut at the top.

"I can't believe that nobody realized who Zelda was during the Pumpkin Festival. I convinced everyone to keep it quiet since it's obvious she doesn't want people to know, but Link, did you even know she was Sheik?"

I shake my head. "I had no idea until a few days ago. It was quite the shock, honestly."

"So she was hiding it from you. Do you think she's trustworthy then?" Impa asks, looking at me with a serious look that I match, my eyebrows lowering.

"She is trustworthy." I say, my voice coming out defensive. "Zelda explained why she hid it from me. I was a little upset at first, but I've already forgiven her."

Impa doesn't say anything and looks away from me, possibly staring at the goddess statue across from us in the pond. I don't know what to say and it's at least a few minutes before she looks back at me. "I think that Zelda is a wonderful girl, but I want the best for you. Understood?"

I blink and nod slowly. I should have been expecting this talk now that I think of it. Impa has always been just as protective with Aryll and me as she is with Paya and Purah. But it still shocks me when she brings things like this up though, because no matter how long she's been my adoptive mom, I can never grasp just how much she actually cares about us.

"Zelda is...amazing. She's smart, selfless, sweet..." I feel my face heating up and I turn the conversation around. "You don't need to worry, Impa. I'm smarter than I look." I say with a smirk and Impa tells me to shut up before giving me a look that can only be described as teasing. She asks when we'll be leaving the village and I shrug.

"As much as I don't want to say it, it's best you leave Kakariko sooner than later. Reporters will be looking for you here, so if you don't want to be bothered, you'd best leave before they come. I'm sure that Zelda doesn't want the reporter type of attention either, right?"

I shake my head. "She hates being famous."

"Well, you two better leave." Cado says, walking up to us. "Dorian just came back to the village saying he saw some people that fit that description."

"They'll give you trouble, you know. I don't want that." I say, looking to both of them.

Impa smiles. "How sweet. You are the same kind little boy you've always been." I grimace and she laughs. "I'd like to see them try to cause me trouble, Link. I'd think you'd know by now I'll give them trouble ten times back and chase them like a mad woman if I must. Nobody will be bothering us here in Kakariko."

Cado and I laugh loudly, the sound comes from my stomach and reverberates through my chest. Oh, I do know that. I know better than anyone just how scary Impa can be.

x.x.x

Zelda and I stand with our horses saying goodbye to everyone. Paya hugs me first, telling me to be safe, then Impa, who tells me to be smart and take care of Zelda. Aryll hugs me tightly after them.

"I seriously do miss you when you're away. I'm willing to bet that one letter you sent me was because Zelda made you, wasn't it?" I hesitate answering her and Aryll lets out a heavy sound between a sigh and a growl before muttering. "Knew it."

"I promise I'll write you another letter, Aryll." I say, letting her go.

"You have to write more than one, Link! Don't be stingy, I'm family."

"Okay, okay. Two letters." I say.

Aryll growls and Zelda and I laugh before I promise her that I will write her more, and she holds up her pinky so I twist mine around it. She makes me promise one weekly; even if nothing happens at all, she still expects a letter. I have to agree when both Impa and Zelda stare at me over Aryll's shoulder with expectant looks. I suspect that Zelda will keep me on it after we leave whether I like it or not either way.

Giving Aryll one last hug I turn to Impa and take a deep breath. I had thought I was rich when I won the Hateno village archery contest, and then after getting paid for hunting the bear for Rensa at Dueling Peaks stable; but winning the Golden Arrow has made me wealthier than I can even process. I knew the champion was rewarded a handsome cash prize, but I wasn't expecting as many silver rupees as I counted while waiting for Zelda to meet up with me when I left the coliseum. I reach into my pocket and hand a heavy wallet to Impa containing half of that money.

"I want you to have this."

Impa's face pales a little bit when she looks inside.

"Is this your winnings? I can't possibly take this, you earned it."

"I didn't really earn it, Impa. Besides, I don't even know what to do with that much money. Even if you don't need it, I know that you'll find a much better use for it."

We stare at each other for a long moment before Impa quickly steps over and hugs me tightly. "Thank you, Link." She says before she steps back and puts her hands on my shoulders. "I believe you've really turned into a man your parents would be proud of. You should know that." The compliment takes me aback. "You and Zelda better get going now. I love you."

"I love you too, Impa." I say, giving her and Aryll another hug before turning and climbing onto Epona's saddle and we say a final goodbye before leaving. Just outside the village, I see four horses carrying people dressed in black down at the bottom of the hill we'll be going down. Great. I think before I ask Zelda quietly to follow me, telling her who I see and she nods with a fearful expression. We go up into a little area that is hidden off the road and I hope that the reporters down there didn't already notice us. We stay quiet until the group passes by and then leave quickly, successfully evading the people Zelda calls "vultures."

x.x.x

Zelda is smiling as we ride down the road, but every time she glances over and sees me, that smile drops. I can tell she's happy we're heading towards Faron even with how stubborn she was to agree in the first place; she's an open book.

When we see the ancient Central Tower, Zelda tells me she wants to climb it. I warn her that that might be difficult as I know for a fact that the tower doesn't have as many platforms as the one on the Great Plateau. She tells me she doesn't care and she still wants to try, so I shrug my shoulders and say okay. Her face lights up when she gets an idea, challenging me to a race to the tower, the finish line being the old, wide stone archway not far from it. The first one of us to pass through will be declared the winner. I agree telling her that she'll be eating Epona's dust, but Zelda smirks while rubbing Starlett's neck before saying "Don't put down my princess here, she's fast."

I'd forgotten she called her horse her princess until now since she never says that. I faintly recall her calling her horse the same thing in the stable in Hateno Village, right after she came in with the white leather saddle that I secretly paid two hundred rupees to the shopkeeper to help her pay for, which she sits upon. I wonder what Zelda would say now if she knew about that, but I keep it to myself remembering that I self-vowed to never tell her.

We stand at the edge of the road and in turns, say "Ready, Set" then "Go!" together before we dash off. Epona and I have the lead for the first several seconds before Zelda comes up and we race neck to neck before she gets a ten foot lead. The archway we are racing to grows nearer and half way there and I urge Epona faster and pass her up. We are thirty feet from the finish line and I'm sure this victory is mine when Zelda catches up with Starlett at the last second and both our horses pass the threshold of the archway neck and neck. Zelda lets out a whoop and boasts about winning, but I disagree with her, saying it was a tie. Zelda refuses to give in on that fact, however, so I suggest we break the "tie" with a simple game of rock-paper-scissors and she reluctantly agrees, biting her lip. We stand our horses side by side for a best two out of three and Zelda pouts for a few seconds when I come out the victor and she has to agree it was a tie.

At the bottom of the tower, we both look up at the approximately hundred-foot climb. The lowest platform is about half way up and when I look over to Zelda, I catch her face dropping at the idea of climbing that far up without a break. I ask her if she still wants to do this and she nods, looking unsure, then asks me if I have a rope that long that we can use like we did for the giant tree stump atop the Great Plateau. I shake my head, but an idea pops into my thoughts.

"I think your clothesline rope is long enough to make it a quarter of the way, so if you can make it that high, you'll have some support from there on up to the bottom platform."

Zelda puts her finger to her chin like she always does while thinking, her eyebrows and nose scrunching, before she says she can do it with extra enthusiasm, pumping her fists in the air in front of her chest. We dismount our horses and she digs her rope out of her saddlebag. I easily climb up to the fifty-foot high platform and find a place to securely knot the end before making an extra sturdy slip-knot she can wrap around herself and tighten at the free end in the case she does fall. I drop the rope down and sit with my legs dangling over the platform, then look down to see Zelda looking up at me. She takes a deep breath stretching her arms over her head before exhaling.

She climbs up slowly, planting the toes of her boots carefully with each step until she gets up to the rope. I hear her growl as she struggles to get it around her torso with one hand, before making the mistake of looking down. I hear her make a whimpering noise before letting go of the rope and squeezing her eyes shut instead, clinging to the tower, her breaths loud and heavy.

"Are you okay?"

"I can't get the rope around me." Zelda answers, shakily, while looking up at me, so I climb down to help her and we climb up together. When we get up to the lowest platform, I help her up and she sits with her back against the railing, her hand on her chest.

"Halfway to go." Zelda says, warily looking upwards. We rest there for a few more minutes before continuing up without the rope. We make it to the top with no more problems and stand looking westward toward Lake Hylia. The breeze that blows up here is a welcome refreshment to the afternoon heat. I take a several mouthfuls from the water canteen I brought up on my belt, then offer it to Zelda and she takes it with a grateful thank you.

"I wasn't sure I'd make it up here, but I'm so glad I tried. I guess I'm a bit more afraid of heights than I thought I was. I'll probably never understand your love of climbing either, it's exhausting."

"It's more about what's at the top of the climb." I say, gesturing out in front if us, but I honestly have missed the "thrill" of it. We sit in the shade after admiring the view we have and rest for a while, leaning against the pillars that hold up the "roof" of the tower.

"Some music would be nice at times like this." Zelda says, frowning.

"I wish I still had my radio, but unfortunately I dropped it in the river when I visited Zora's Domain a month ago. I should have bought a new one by now, but I've been lazy and it completely slipped my mind when I saw them in Castle Town marketplace."

Zelda laughs. "You really dropped your radio in the river?"

"Sure did. It was heartbreaking."

"I bet. You know, after listening to Midna's radio so much, I can't believe I've gone this long without music. I miss it, I'm sure there's a lot of good songs I've missed out on." She says sadly, twisting a strand of her ponytail around her finger.

"Do you want to make a quick stop in Castle Town and buy one before going to Lake Hylia?"

"Sure. There's actually a few other things I've wanted lately, too."

x.x.x

We spend another hour or so up on Central Tower before going back down, which Zelda does better with when I climb down by her side the whole way and make sure she doesn't look down once. I can tell that she's relieved to be back on the ground afterwards with the heavy sigh she lets out. We make the short journey across Hyrule Field before heading in through the west gate by the horse stables, instead of entering through the main gate of town like last time and putting Starlett through a panic in the middle of a bustling crowd. I still feel bad about that, as Zelda was distraught over how much stress she accidentally put her horse through that day.

"I didn't expect to see you two back so soon!" Malon says, jogging over and not only hugging Zelda, but me as well as she excitedly congratulates me on winning the Golden Arrow. She says she wasn't there, but travelers flooded Castle Town just after spreading the news.

We tell Malon we're only in town to pick up a Sheikah radio before we'll be on our way. She says her shift ends in a few minutes and asks if we won't mind her company for a little. Zelda says "Sure, come on," hooking her elbow with our ginger friend's. We leave our horses in the fenced in pasture and our belongings behind the desk inside where Ingo, the stable owner, says they'll be safe till we get back.

We spend more time in the marketplace than I personally want to, but Zelda is having so much fun spending time with Malon that I just shrug off my impatience. I'm not even sure why I'm in such a hurry. I buy the only Sheikah radio I can find from a greedy man with the world's creepiest smile before we stop by a little tent that Malon swears has the most accurate fortune teller in all of Hyrule. I let them go in and spend some money on someone who's probably scamming people for their rupees. I chat with a nearby shopkeeper till Malon comes out laughing with Zelda blushing so bright red that I'm curious about what just happened, but they both refuse to let me in on the amusement.

When we get back to the horse stables, Kina is there and she waves and greets us excitedly as we walk over.

"There you are, Malon! I've been waiting on you! We need to get going!" Kina exclaims.

"Oh my gosh, sorry! I temporarily forgot that there's a fireboomer show happening tonight over Lake Hylia when Link and Zelda walked in here." She turns to Zelda and I then with a smile. "Are you guys going too?"

"We are now." I say with a grin as Zelda says "heck yes!" simultaneously.

x.x.x

While all four of us ride down the road, I wonder how we missed the news there would be a show at all before Malon says it was announced at the Festival of Warriors, which we missed the end of.

"Oh my goddess! Congratulations on Golden Arrow Champion, Link! It slipped my mind when I saw you outside the stable." Kina pipes up, excitedly. "The newspaper was talking all about you and some mysterious purple lips on your cheek." She says, raising her eyebrows.

"Thanks." I say, scratching the back of my head and glancing towards Zelda. Kina puts it together just whose lips those were and lets out a gasp before giggling and teasing us.

"Speaking of the Golden Arrow, there's also talk that Sheik was at the FOW..." Malon interrupts. "Did you guys see her?"

I don't answer right away as I'm not sure how to answer that. I glance over at Zelda to see her staring straight ahead and looking tense, her fingers clenched over around her horse's reins. I'm surprised that nobody in Castle Town recognized us when we were there today, but then again, nobody recognized Zelda the entire time we were in town a week ago either.

"We didn't, but Karane made a great show of saving her with Revali. Was that in the newspapers?" Zelda answers with a flawless white lie, changing the subject with ease. I remember how she said she was used to changing conversations like this to hide her identity and I'm impressed, but I also remember how she did the same thing to me and feel a buried bite of irritation rise up.

"It sure was!" Kina says, grinning, before babbling on about that and everything else that was written in the papers too.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

I hate lying to people. I especially hate lying to friends, but I told one of the most flawless ones I ever have. I overthink what I said as I listen to Kina and convince myself that it wasn't really a lie, since I technically didn't "see myself," but I feel no better. I thought about telling Kina and Malon that I was there, as Sheik, but I decided against it since it would bring up more explaining that I'm not sure I'm ready for. I saw the look on Link's face when I said that as well, I have no doubt he might have been thinking of our conversation on the Great Plateau. That was a little different though, because this time I actually did say that we "saw" her before changing the subject. I want to take the words back as soon as they leave my mouth. I bite the inside of my cheek and push the moment to the little dark recess in my memories where I keep such lies so that the guilt doesn't eat me.

It's sunset when we reach Lake Hylia and there must be at least a hundred people here surrounding the lake on blankets, in chairs, or just in the grass or running and walking around. Kina explains that nobody is on the bridge because that's where the fireboomers will be shot off. I look down into the water and imagine floating in a boat down in the lake during the show. That would be absolutely incredible, but there's a reason that nobody takes boats out onto this lake, so I'm not surprised nobody has done just that.

Kina and Malon say they'll talk to us later when they see Agitha nearby with a guy I don't recognize before heading over to them. Link and I stand with our horses a bit away from everyone and I bite my lip and clench my hands into fists. I just know that if people here recognize Link, they'll put the pieces together, such as my lipstick, and they may even realize who I am. I wish I could go back to not worrying about being recognized like before we went to the Great Plateau, but that seems impossible for me now. I guess the new reason I am so afraid of being found out as Sheik now is because I've been hiding it so long that I don't know what I will do when that happens. Of course I know that being by Link's side almost guarantees that I'll be exposed as Sheik and maybe even as Zelda eventually, but I'm not ready for that yet. I guess my stress must be on my face again like my friends in Lurelin used to tell me, because Link asks me what's wrong.

"Well, if people notice you here, we know they'll recognize you and like you said yesterday outside Kakariko….they might recognize me too. I didn't think of that earlier. There are so many people here..."

"Let's just stay away from everyone then, Zel. I'm sure there's an empty hill around where we can sit alone." He says, reaching over and putting his hand on my shoulder. My mood brightens considerably when he gives me a reassuring smile.

"You are the greatest, Link. That's a genius idea." I say with a smile.

"I'm full of genius ideas, don't you know that yet?"

I punch him in the shoulder. "Shut up, you smartass." I say, smirking, before we both laugh.

x.x.x

We find an empty hill that is a bit further away from where everyone else is and sit on top of the little blanket I carry. It's dark now and I am thankful for that since it will be harder for anyone to see us, which also means there's almost a one hundred percent chance that we'll be safe from being noticed; not that anyone is paying attention to us.

Goddess, I am extremely paranoid today.

It's not long before the sound of conversation and laughter around the lake is broken by a whistling noise and we look up to see a silver line shooting up into the sky. The first fireboomer explodes a second later in golden shimmery lines that rain down. Many people near us shout, cheer, and clap in excitement. Ooh's and aah's join the excited noises as more and more fireboomers dash up and fill the night sky with a rainbow of colors that blow my mind away more than they did when we stood outside Kakariko for the bonfire. The fireboomers reflect off the lake with a watercolor effect making the sight even more unbelievable. A wide grin spreads across my face that I couldn't stop if I tried, something about the happy cheers mixed with the incredible show just makes me bubbly inside. I feel Link's arm wrap around my shoulders and I glance over at him. His face is lit up in a grin as well and I kiss his cheek before looking back to the lake and enjoying the spectacular show. Near the end, dozens of fireboomers are quickly set off simultaneously to explode one over the other in a booming, sparking, popping mess of jaw dropping magnificence. Lake Hylia is an eruption of cheers and shouts when the sky goes clear except for the remaining smoke.

"We would have missed this had you not agreed to head towards Lurelin Village." Link says, as I lean against him and rest my head against his neck.

"Yeah, I'm glad I did agree, but I won't let you have the credit for this."

"Of course not. You're stubborn like that."

"You don't mind and we both know it." I say matter-of-factly, turning my head to look up at him.

Link leans backwards and pulls me down with him so we're laying down on our blanket and then I'm trapped loosely by his arms.

"Sometimes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 4th of July to all you american peeps! I know, I'm late on that, but it's still July and where I live, people shoot them off all month. xD Thus the sparkly fireworks!


	30. Faron Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me forever to finish this...not sure I'll get back on my usual update schedule, but I'll keep writing. Thank you to all of you who have waited patiently for me.

Chapter 30

Faron Woods

Zelda's PoV

I wake up with a gasping scream; only to be instantly blinded by an unforgiving shaft of sunlight as soon as my eyes snap open. I cry out and cover them before I roll on my side and wait for my vision go back to normal, breathing heavily and calming down from my nightmare as well. I yawn and stretch when my eyes finally adjust to the sunlight before I sit up. It's then that I realize that I can't hear Link's snoring this morning like usual and I look over to see he's not laying there. It's possible I'm maybe turning him into a morning person; he actually seems to be up before I am a lot lately, oddly enough. I get up and walk over near where our horses stand drinking water from the small pond we're next to. I kneel down and splash some water on my face. I haven't the slightest clue why I'd have a nightmare about everyone seeing us last night and everyone recognizing me as Sheik, but the dream was vivid and awful like always. I need to accept the reality that everyone will find out who I am someday and just learn to live with it; I can't live with this anxiety anymore. I hope that my subconscious will learn that eventually too. I'm sick of having "Sheik" nightmares even two years later!

Perhaps I should just expose myself and get it over with.

Ha. If only I were brave enough...

I stand up and look around before I see a gleaming flash of light behind a tree in the woods we've made camp in. I walk towards it and stop when I realize what the source is. I follow the sword blade as it swings through the air with practiced movement and follow it down a tanned arm to shoulders and a shine of blonde hair. I step behind a tree and peer around the side, sure that I haven't been spotted as Link continues to wield his sword through the basic techniques. He's shirtless and the sun shines off his sweaty muscles in the already warming morning. I'm not sure why I'm hiding to watch him train, but the thought of being caught so openly gawking at his bare torso makes my body heat up. It's a few more minutes before l realize that I can look at him all I want to and it doesn't matter. I take a breath and step out from behind my tree and walk towards Link, who stops swinging his sword with his back turned to me and stands straight as I walk closer. I'm about to greet him good morning when he speaks first and I freeze mid-stride at his words.

"I was wondering how long you were going to watch."

I feel my face flush and bite the inside if my cheek. "I wanted to admire your skills for a little before interrupting you." I respond, relieved my voice comes out smoother than I thought it would, as stupidly flustered as I've become. Link turns around and sets his sword point down into the dirt, holding onto the hilt with one hand. Hopefully my pale skin reflects the bright sunlight so he can't tell how embarrassed I am.

"My skills, huh?"

"Yes, your proficient skills that make mine look like those of an amateur." I say, careful to keep a neutral expression across my features and to keep my voice level. I'm glad when Link doesn't tease me more and grabs the blue shirt of his off the ground and pulls it on, putting his weapons belt on as well and sheathing his sword.

"Well, since you're up, want to get some breakfast?"

Since I'm up? I hold back the retort of how I'm usually waiting for him to wake up most mornings. I wonder what time it is actually. Perhaps my internal early bird clock was late waking me today. I look down at my wrist and forget I'm not wearing the watch I bought in Castle Town. I say yes to his question and we walk around till we find some tree nuts, mushrooms and a few eggs before we return to camp. I ask Link to teach me how to make a successful omelet, since we both know I'm crap at cooking, especially when it comes to eggs.

x.x.x

A short while later we gather up our things and ride across Hylia Bridge, where I notice there are little scorch marks across some of the concrete stones that I don't remember. I wonder if is due to the fireboomers; I don't actually know how they work now that I think of it. I look at the fountain in the center of the bridge and remember a moment that happened when I was ten years old. My family had been walking up to attend the Festival of Warriors and I was so excited I couldn't even stand still. On the way back, I climbed up and stood on the edge of this fountain before I declared for the first time that I'd win the Golden Arrow someday like Karane. Tetra had splashed me saying that would never happen and to quit dreaming. I can't help but smile at how wrong she was. Little me grew up and fulfilled her dream, even if it brought me mostly stress and unexpected regret afterwards.

"Hey Zel. Hear that?"

"What?" I ask after listening and hearing nothing. Link dismounts Epona and I get off my horse too when he walks over to the edge of the bridge. I hear what he's referring to then, the loud sound of water sloshing and we both look downwards at the lake. An unmistakable shape appears above the water surface and I gasp.

"Oh my goddess Hylia…" I say, trailing off before my jaw drops as both Link and I stare in disbelief because, shockingly, Farosh is emerging from Lake Hylia. The sunlight shines and reflects off the dragon's beautiful green and yellow scales, casting dancing light across the water and shimmering. I stand in breathless awe as I admire the dragon as he rises out of the lake and into the air. My initial shock wears off after several seconds and I let out squeak as I grab onto Link's arm in excitement and he tears his eyes from the dragon, matching my grin before we both continue to gawk in incredulity. This is exactly why I wasn't surprised to see nobody down on the lake in boats last night during the fireboomers.

We watch for several more seconds before Link grabs my hand as Farosh starts coming closer to the bridge. "See those electric balls radiating off his body? We need to move!" He shouts, pointing at the sky before pulling on my arm. My eyes widen as I see the round balls of electricity that are now falling through the air and I know if one hits us, it'll be our end. Panicking, I turn and run with him to our horses, where we jump on and sprint them to safety. When we're at the end of the bridge, we turn around and continue to watch the magnificent dragon.

This is like a dream. I still can't believe it! The legendary dragon of the Faron region decided to come out just as we crossed the bridge! I can't wait to see the look on my sister's face when I tell her. This is not the first time I've seen Farosh, by the way, as during the summer it is not uncommon to see him flying along clouds in the blue sky. However, the few other times I've seen him he's always been in the far distance, since each of those times I was nearby Lurelin Village. I never imagined that I'd see the divine dragon this close.

The three known dragons of Hyrule: Farosh, Naydra, and Dinraal, appear only at certain times of the year for unknown reasons. Farosh is usually spotted in the sky during the months of summer. Some people believe that the dragons are spirits sent by Goddess Hylia to watch over the land. I've always thought the "spirit" part of that was odd because Farosh has never looked ethereal or spirit-like to me, especially not after just seeing him so close. The other idea that people have about the dragons is that they are forms of the other three goddesses that are also worshiped by some. I personally believe that theory better. I wonder if someday I will be lucky enough to see Naydra and Dinraal too; That would be incredible. I look at Link and grin when Farosh finally rises up so high in the sky that we can't see him anymore with the blinding sun.

"That was amazing!" I exclaim as we cross through the gate on the south end of Hylia Bridge.

"Check seeing a dragon emerge from the water off my bucket list." Link says, laughing and I laugh too. "I didn't think that I'd actually ever see that."

"Have you seen the other dragons?"

"I've seen Naydra before since he, very rarely, flies over the Lanayru Promenade from the mountains in the later months of the year. I haven't seen Dinraal yet, but he's usually spotted in the Tabantha region and near Death Mountain, and I've been to neither place."

"Perhaps we'll see the fire dragon together someday." I say, before I ask him more about Naydra. A few minutes down the road I get the worst image in my head and just have to express it. "I wonder what the electricity radiating off Farosh would have done with the fireboomers. Maybe the peaceful natured dragon would have gotten angry, perhaps everyone would have been in danger! Oh goddess, the nightmare that would have been! We're so lucky he didn't come out last night!" Link laughs and I give him a long look with my eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "I'm being serious, Link!"

"Oh, I do agree with you, just the chance of that happening is really low. Don't you think?"

"Of course, but so was the chance of seeing Farosh at all just now."

"Alright, you make a good point there. Everyone would have been serious danger. It's fortunate that disaster didn't strike. I wonder if the team of men on the bridge setting them up were thinking of that." Link looks like he's playing along with me as he says that, the corners of his lips still curling up still with a hint of a smile.

"I have no doubt about it. I would have been terrified of the possibility the entire time."

x.x.x

We enter Faron Woods and ride quietly through the sounds of nature, taking it all in. I spent so much time in these woods after I left Lurelin that it feels as if I'm already home. We ride through the dense forest slowly. I smile at the sereneness that this forest has and breathe in the damp dewy smells of wet vegetation. Our horses' hoof beats are loud due to the puddles all over the forest floor from recent rainfall. When the road makes a fork, I ask Link which direction and he says left, so we head deeper into the woods. I smile as I become excited about where this road will lead us.

It's not long before we're riding through the center of the forest toward the cave that holds the Spring of Courage. Halfway across the open area it starts raining and just as we enter the cave it starts to pour. I'm not the least bit surprised, as this type of weather is normal in Faron; it can be sunny one moment and just few minutes later a random downpour will befall the forest almost without any warning. It's just something you get used to after living here and, personally, I love the rain and always have, so I don't mind. The air is muggy and warm as we take shelter and dismount our horses.

This spring is one of three in the world, each of them are extremely spiritual places. I'm not usually spiritual and I don't know how to explain it, but I can feel what they mean even as breathe in the air here, it just seems different. It's like an aura of peace just surrounds this beautiful place; I feel connected to it somehow. I distinctly remember feeling the same way the last time I visited. Curious, I ask Link if he can feel it too and he nods.

"It's kind of strange, but it's nice too. I've never been to one of these spiritual springs before." Link says, relieving both our horses of our saddlebags before pulling off his shoes and submerging his feet in the spring. I ask him if he's heard the stories that religious people have told upon stepping into this water and he shakes his head, looking curious. I pull my shoes off and step into the calf deep water, walking beneath the natural outcropping of shelter that reaches from the back of the cave to the mountain overlooking the spring to the little platform at the base of the statue of the goddess before standing upon it.

"They say this water is magic and is capable of making miracles happen. I'm not sure I believe that, but I've heard travelers talking in stables. Some people say that laying a sick or injured person in the water of one of the sacred springs, it can heal them. I'm not sure I believe that theory, it sounds outrageous. How could simple water heal a body?"

"I agree with you there, that one sounds ludicrous. Maybe if there were proof the water came from somewhere special that could be possible, but like right now-" He pauses and gestures to the rainwater falling into the spring. "-anyone can see its just natural water."

"Maybe the spiritual water comes from deep within the ground." I say, the idea never coming to me before, but I'm not sure that makes sense.

"Then you think the ground is blessed by the goddess?"

"Well, it is said that the ancient goddesses, whom I think the dragons were named after coincidentally, created this land. Going by that, it's not impossible that the ground itself is a gift from the goddesses, if you are a religious worshiper, of course, and believe that."

"Do you believe that, Zel?"

"I'm unsure what to believe exactly, but I know we all must have come from somewhere. There is a more practical theory about these springs however, which I think is also crazy, but more believable. I've read in books and also heard that if you pray to the goddess while standing in this water you can hear the answer to your prayer. I've never tried it, but I don't pray either so I'm sure if I did talk to Hylia, I wouldn't be deserving of such grace."

Link looks at me with a confused slash disagreeing expression before he shakes his head slowly. "I think if anyone is deserving of grace, it's you." I look into his blue eyes and he smiles and I smile and thank him, loving that he thinks of me so highly. Link stands up from the ground, his feet in the water, before he stretches his arms above his head and I walk over to him.

"Thank you, Link. You are deserving of that type of grace too." I say as I hug him and he embraces me back, kissing my forehead and I smile widely resting my head against his shoulder, butterflies dancing in my belly. We sit against the rock wall of the cave while we wait out the rain and I hum a song we listened to on the radio while eating breakfast. I look at the goddess statue and smile as the rain lets up and a small rainbow shows in some sunlight just over Hylia's ancient face.

x.x.x

We follow the road and take the turn that leads to the beach and I sprint Starlett ahead as soon as the road starts turning into sand. I stop my horse on the beach before getting down quickly and run up to the water stand with my sandaled feet in the tide. I breathe in the salty scent and close my eyes to listen to lapping waves of the ocean. It's been so long since I've stood on this beach that I grew up playing on, making countless memories with my family and my friends. I open my eyes as Link walks up beside me.

"I missed this view: I know what you're thinking, it's just the same blue ocean and just another sandy beach like below Hateno, but I grew up running around and exploring here. It's special to me because of the memories."

"I understand that completely, Zel. I wasn't about to judge you." Link says, stepping over and taking my hand. I now feel silly for saying such a thing.

"Sorry, I should know that. Are you ready to meet my family?"

Link nods firmly with a grin. "You know I am."

"Yeah, I suppose I do with how big a deal you made of it in Kakariko. I'm glad to see you're so enthusiastic about it, but I'm not quite ready to head that way yet. Let's go for a ride on the beach that way." I say, pointing, and Link's smile drops a little, but he agrees so we get back on our horses.

As we ride our horses along Komo Shoreline, the salty scent of the sea is so welcoming; I just feel at peace. I feel giddy remembering all the memories I have on this beach, and also all the time I spent here after leaving home, nervous to really leave. If we were to turn around and head the opposite direction, this beach would lead us straight to Lurelin, but I'm not in a hurry right now. My family can wait a little longer for my surprise homecoming. I can also put off the embarrassment that Tetra will undoubtedly inflict upon me when she finally meets Link for a little while longer.

x.x.x

We stop for a break in the shade of the natural rock caves when we reach Puffer Beach. I lean back on my hands and I think aloud while sitting in the sand.

"I'm starving. We skipped lunch."

"So am I. What do you think of some roasted crab for dinner?" Link asks after he laughs.

"That sounds amazing."

"Alright. I'll catch us some."

Link gets up and jogs down the beach and I watch him curiously from afar. He runs swiftly down the sand and grabs a bright red crab – they are everywhere this time of day - within a minute.

I've tried catching them before, but I'm always too slow to succeed at the task. I watch as he turns his back to me as he pulls out his knife, the creature is no longer moving when he stands again before catching a second crab and doing the same. Link goes over to Epona and grabs a small brown bag from his saddlebag before coming back over to our shady spot.

"Just a few more minutes, my lady, then your meal will be prepared." Link says in a mock, formal tone of voice that makes me giggle. It reminds me of just before we entered Castle Town the first time and he said something similar, crossing his arm across his torso and half bowing on his horse's back. The "milady" part makes me think of the stories of Knights and Princesses that my mom used to tell me at night when I was a little girl. I wonder if that's how today's King and his royal family and court are addressed nowadays, too.

After setting down the crabs, Link draws his sword chops one of the skinny palm trees down nearby within a couple of seconds. He's honestly he's quite entertaining to watch as he does so. His shirt clings to his back from sweat in the summer sun and his arm muscles are prominent as he whacks at the log and brings over some firewood.

"Impressive, you're quite handy." I tell him.

"I think you already knew that." Link says, matching the smirk on my face.

After the crab is cooked, Link hands me some. I expertly open the shell and pull the meat out. I grew up on seafood so doing this is second nature to me, I've shelled seafood a thousand times. Link grabs the bag he brought over and asks if I'd like a baked apple while we've got a fire going and I nod enthusiastically, my mouth watering from the idea of a warm, juicy sweet apple.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

After our dinner we relieve our horses of their equipment and our saddlebags for the night, agreeing it's best to make camp for the day. Zelda pulls her shoes off and asks me if I'd like to go for a walk, wanting to feel the wet sand and the tide over her toes and I say of course we can. The caws of seagulls accompany the sound of the ocean waves washing over our bare feet. Zelda tells me some of her favorite memories on this beach with her sister and friends, gesturing with her hands, pointing to spots up and down the beach and giggling. I laugh along with her, enjoying the happiness that radiates into me from her mood. She looks so beautiful in the glow of the evening sunset that I forget that I'm supposed to answer when she asks me if I've ever swam in the ocean. I clear my throat before I tell her that I have, but it has been years since, and she says that we should and I ask her if she'd like to now.

"Now? Hmm...alright, why not?" She says with a shrug of her shoulders, so we return to our little camp and take turns changing our clothes, standing back to each other in turns like we always do. When she gives me the okay to turn around, Zelda is standing inches from me and she wraps her arms around my torso, her skin pressing up to mine before she stands on her tip toes and kisses me. I go to wrap my arms around her but she steps back and takes my hand instead, tugging me alongside her toward the ocean. I step up beside her quickly and wrap her up in my arms after only a few steps and press my lips back to hers. Zelda doesn't resist at all and giggles against my lips, her arms wrapping around me and warming my body. I pick her up after we've shared a kiss that I've wanted to give her all day and jog to the ocean with her laughing before I set her down on her feet. She kisses me again and runs her fingers along my back as I hold her close, my hands on her lower back before I slide them over her hips. She pushes away gently with a smile before taking my right hand and tugging me along as she walks into the ocean.

We walk on a sandbar that gradually becomes deeper till we're chest deep in the water. The waves are calm right now, but looking out into the horizon I can see that if we're not careful, the larger ones will engulf us if we don't watch out for them, should the tide decide to come in. I don't know much about how the ocean behaves down here in Faron, but I'm sure that it must be safe if Zelda was willing to bring us so far out from the beach. She would know, I'm sure, from growing up here what's smart to do what isn't. Just like I think will happen, the waves come to us after we swim for a while, laughing, talking, and splashing each other. We grasp tight to each other's hands and hold our breath as the huge waves come over our heads before we swim toward the shore and sit in the wet sand of the inch deep tide.

I recall the events of the day we've had especially think of early this morning. I noticed Zelda watching me as soon as she came into woods, but I pretended I didn't see her. She got so embarrassed as we stood there a couple of minutes later that I decided to hold back teasing her more since she was already so flustered. Zelda gazes down the beach with a soft smile on her face that fades a few seconds later before she sighs, pulling her knees up to her chest and looking down sadly.

"It's been so long since I've been home. I don't know even know how everyone will react to seeing me. I'm worried they might be mad or something. Maybe I won't belong there anymore." She says quietly.

I scoot closer to her and wrap my arm around her waist. Zelda leans against me, straightening out her legs. My heart is beating quickly from the lack of clothes that we are wearing and the feel of our bare skin touching again, but I take a deep, silent breath before letting it out and speaking slowly. "I don't think you need to be nervous about seeing your family and friends after so long, Zel. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you again."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm being silly...Tetra will be so happy. I hope you're ready to meet her, she's sure to be...overly enthusiastic." Zelda says, letting out a shaky laugh before turning her head to look at me.

"I'm ready for anything." I say, giving her a smile and watching her cheeks turn a little pink before her lips turn up too and her viridian eyes look bright and clear again.

x.x.x

The night sky is clear as we lay our sleeping bags in the sand so they overlap with the soft sides up. Zelda falls asleep quickly, so I lie there staring at the sky wondering just what's to come when we do arrive in Lurelin. I'm sure that people might recognize me from the FOW, that much is obvious, but I'm not worried about that at all. I haven't been around anyone besides friends and family since winning the Golden Arrow, so I have to say I'm curious about what it will be like to be recognized. I'm still a bit shocked that nobody did realize who I was when we went to get a Sheikah radio in Castle Town, especially with how quickly Kina said the news traveled. Zelda and I both realized that we forgot to say goodbye to her and Malon when we were waiting out the rain at the spring earlier. I brought up how bad Zelda was blushing when she left that fortune teller tent, but she absolutely refuses to tell me what the man told her, unfortunately, which of course only makes me want to know more. Maybe I can get her to tell me eventually.

I close my eyes and hear the audience chanting my name again in Hyrule Coliseum, the cheering, the shouting, how it felt to win. I can't imagine feeling the way Zelda does about fame right now because I can only feel happy thinking about being praised for such a thing, although that might change for all I know. This thrilling feeling can't possibly last forever, unless you are egotistical and love attention like Revali does maybe, but I've never been like that and never will be.

I wonder what Zelda will be like with her family and if she'll feel the same embarrassed and nervous feelings that I felt until my family got to know her. To be honest, I'm excited to meet her friends and family, but I'm also laying here with a sick feeling in my gut. They might not like me, which would clearly be a problem. I think back to what Zelda told me while we were swimming then and then feel a bit better. I didn't express how I was feeling about this to her, but when she was just speaking her mind and babbling on telling me all about everyone in Lurelin, she did trail off and say that she's sure that everyone will like me. I can only hope that's true, I wouldn't want her to change her mind about her feelings about me under any negative feelings or opinions of what the people who love her might have. I would understand, though, and I'd let her go...if only for her to be happy.

Screw that. That's probably the most bullshit thing I've ever thought. I wouldn't let us go down like that. I'd fight and do whatever I had to do to, within practicality and common sense obviously, to keep Zelda in my life and I know it. I can't imagine a day of my life without her in it, she fills an empty hole in my heart I didn't know existed till the day I met her. I should also know better by now, after that nightmare and how upset she was about it, after everything we've been through together, that she's not going to leave my side.

I shake my head and force the idea of such a ridiculous scenario from my mind before I roll over on my side and look at Zelda, who is sleeping peacefully with her lips slightly parted and her hair down laying loose on the sleeping bag. I reach over and put my hand on top of hers softly, running my fingertips over her wrist. Her eyelids twitch and I stop, holding my hand still and hoping I haven't woken her, but she just makes a quiet murmuring noise in her sleep before her breaths even out again. I lean over and I whisper a few words into her ear and kiss her forehead before laying my head down and closing my eyes.

x.x.x

I wake up to the scent of fish cooking and rub my eyes with my right hand, looking in front of me to see Zelda sitting on the ground next to my cooking pot. Her ponytail is braided and tied into a bun today and she's singing softly, the same song she sang in the Bearded Duck tavern in Castle Town. I close my eyes and listen, thinking that if she notices I'm awake she might stop singing in that beautiful voice I'd be more than happy to listen to all day.

"Good morning, Link." Zelda says when she's finishes the song and I almost laugh at the idea that I could possibly fool her into thinking I was asleep just now. "I'm almost done cooking. I hope that it turns out okay."

"It smells delicious." I say, stretching my arms over my head before getting up and walking over next to her. On a flat rock next to the pot sits a neatly cut up bowl of green palm fruit and a few bananas next to it. I pick a piece of the fruit out and toss it into my mouth before I sit down. A few minutes later the fish is ready and we pick it out of the pot with forks. It really does taste good and Zelda practically beams with pride when I tell her I enjoy it.

x.x.x

We race our horses down the straight stretch of Puffer Beach, passing by animals and a few travelers who wave to us as we pass them. I'm the first to pass our "finish line," the entrance of the road that we came from yesterday, and Zelda tells me that she let me win. I don't believe her, but I nod anyway as we continue on our way at a trotting pace. The nervous feeling I laid awake with last night comes back like a pit in my stomach, but I ignore it. I've got nothing to worry about and I know it. Zelda reaches over and pokes me in the arm before she teases me about looking uncomfortable.

"Has your enthusiasm died? I'm surprised you're not smiling as excited and impatient as you seemed to get to Lurelin yesterday."

I fake a grin back and shake my head before I answer her honestly, since it's just nerves that are making me feel the way I am.

"I can't wait to get there."


	31. Lurelin Village

Chapter 31

Lurelin Village

Link's PoV

I hear music playing before we even take the turn that leads into the bay Lurelin Village resides in. A girl is standing on the beach picking up clothes from a basket and hanging them on a line. She looks over our way and squints her blue eyes at us before her jaw drops open and she drops the shirt she's holding in the sand, forgotten, and starts running our way. Before she even yells Zelda's name I know without a doubt that it's Tetra. Zelda all but leaps from her horse's saddle and then she's running across the sand as well screaming her sister's name back. They collide in a tangle of arms and laughter.

"Zelda! Oh my goddess! I can't believe you are here! Why didn't you send a letter saying you were coming?!"

"I thought surprising you would be better." Zelda says excitedly, squeezing her sister so hard that Tetra lets out a wheeze. I dismount my horse and walk up to them and Tetra's eyes land upon me over Zelda's shoulder. She lets go of her sister and walks around her.

"Well, well. You're obviously Link. Huh, you're even more handsome than Zelda described in her letters."

"Really?" I say, looking at Zelda curiously, whose face has turned a bright shade of pink. She merely nods and gives me a shy, shaky smile before Tetra steps in front of me and puts her hands on her hips. She's a little taller than Zelda and her hair is tied up into a bun. I faintly remember Zelda telling me that her sister was the prettier of them while we sat the tavern in Hateno Village. I have to say that I do not agree; not to say that Tetra isn't also undeniably pretty. Anyway, Tetra looks me over up and down twice and stand there wondering if I should say something before she finally speaks.

"Wait a minute...you're not the same Link who won the Golden Arrow this year, are you?"

A prideful grin takes over my face of its own accord. "The one and only."

Tetra squeals and turns around to Zelda, taking her by the shoulders before nearly shouting her next words. "What?! Oh my goddess, the coincidence of finding a guy who's just as amazing at archery as you are. Nice Zelly! You should have told me."

"I was going to tell you, but then Link convinced me to come home to Lurelin, so I figured it could wait."

Tetra turns back around to me. "Oh, I didn't introduce myself to you. I'm Tetra. I'm glad that you've been around for my little sister."

"It's been a pleasure." I say, smirking, and Tetra laughs.

x.x.x

We walk into village and several people stop what they are doing and walk, jog, or run in our direction, most of them yelling Zelda's name. She's embraced several times and she laughs, hugging everyone back and introducing them to me and vice versa. Everyone goes crazy when they learn my name and most of them also put two and two together about me being Golden Arrow Champion within seconds, congratulating me and wanting to shake my hand or even hug me. The attention is great at first, but after about fifteen people the excitement dies down and I just start finding it awkward to be enthusiastically "recognized" by people I've never met, though I still feel the same proud feeling upon being praised on such an accomplishment. Tetra speaks loudly over everyone after a few minutes. "Okay, everyone back up. Zelda and Link will be here later so you all can all leave them alone for right now!" A few people laugh and almost everybody listens, telling Zelda they'll talk to her later.

We head up to Lurelin's horse stable, which isn't a regular stable like we would come across on the road. Zelda explains to me that it's just a public stable where our horses can stay while we are not riding them, and in Lurelin we are one hundred percent responsible for taking care of them and their messes. I listen to the girls talk ecstatically while we relieve Starlett and Epona of their gear and our belongings. After we're done, I follow the two of them back through the village up to a house with a flower garden of silent princesses under the large, square windows.

Tetra throws her arm over Zelda's shoulders saying "Welcome home, Zelly! And welcome to our house Link." She adds on, smirking at me over her shoulder before she opens the front door. Inside is a small living room with an adjoining kitchen, a good sized island cutting the two rooms apart with four bar stools sitting just under the overhanging polished wood counter top. A small, circular chandelier with blue and white seashells hangs in the living room with turned off lights, which Tetra turns on with a switch on the wall by an armchair illuminating the already well lit room.

Tetra takes a few cups out of the glass door cabinet above the island before she grabs a bottle of green palm fruit juice from the counter. We each take a seat on the bar stools. Tetra has all sorts of questions for me as we sit and I answer them all, feeling like I'm being tested or something as every new topic adds onto the previous. It's not awkward, however, and the three of us are laughing as I give her honest answers and Zelda fills in bits and pieces for me, since a lot of the conversation is about our travels. After Tetra's satisfied with all of my personal information, we talk and laugh until we've all finished our drinks and Tetra gets up with a heavy sigh and says she has to go do some things for their mom.

"I'll keep it a secret from mom that you're here for now, Zelly." She says with a wink before leaving.

Zelda and I stand in the living room for a few seconds after the front door closes. I take another look around the house, admiring artwork and the tiny details of decoration that have been added to make the place cozy.

Zelda breaks the silence and tells me since I gave her the tour of Impa's house in Kakariko, she'll show me around her home too. Taking my hand with a smile, she takes me to a small staircase that leads upstairs. She brings me into her old bedroom, which has been left like she left it, thinking aloud that her mom has clearly taken care to keep it clean in her absence. There's not much for furniture in her room, just a small vanity dresser, a blue rug and her bed with a little table next to it with a lamp. The walls are covered with shelves with a large amount of random items. A hairbrush sits on the little bedside table as well as a picture frame of an old woman. Before I can ask who it is Zelda explains it's her grandmother who passed away a few years ago.

"She was the sweetest lady. I still miss her dearly. I'm sure she is happy with Hylia though, living in a little house with a huge garden of plants and singing. My grandmother is the one who got me into the love of music. I can still hear her praising me for having a "beautiful" voice.

"Did you two sing together?"

"Yes. I would always help her in her garden in the evenings and we would just talk and sing songs she taught me from her childhood. It was peaceful and she would listen to all my "problems" and give the best advice. I should have listened more. I used to think some of the things she said were annoying, but those things have helped me so much the past few years. My grandmother was an adventurer too in her twenties. My mom always hated her telling me stories because it always fueled my want to leave the village." Zelda finishes and we both laugh.

We leave the house and Zelda gives me the grand tour of Lurelin Village. I've been here before, but I want to see it the way she does with all the little details of a resident who grew up here. She points to the many houses and tells me who lives there and how she knows them, brings up old memories of hers and shows me the best places to relax or be alone for a while. We're recognized and greeted several more times as we walk around before Zelda brings me up some wooden steps that lead to a small waterfall with a pond of red fish and a few ducks in it, the latter flying off in a rush upon seeing us.

Zelda tells me this was her favorite spot to come and think, cool off when pissed, or occasionally even come with guys to make out. That last one makes me laugh and she giggles before she sits down on the small boardwalk after removing her shoes. I join her and we have the talk about or ex-relationships that we never really had, considering the fact we didn't even talk much about Agitha while we were in Castle Town or even after we left. I'm surprised to learn she's only ever had one boyfriend before meeting me, given how beautiful and wonderful she is. Zelda adamantly refuses to tell me much about him, much less his name, which makes me think that something bad happened between them. She assures me that's not the case when I ask, making the excuse she just doesn't want to talk about it. I don't want to drop it after how openly I've told her about my past, but when she stares at me in an "end of discussion" sort of way I shake my head and give it up.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

The Rainbow Crab, my mom's restaurant that Tetra and I helped her name when we were little, is a small building located in the center of the village with few a tables set up outside on a wraparound deck. Tiki torches and flowers decorate the area with the background music of a Sheikah radio playing. A few elderly ladies I've known my whole life sit under the shade umbrellas just like they did a year ago, relaxing and enjoying some fresh baked pie. As we pass, they teasingly ask me who the "handsome young man" next to me is so I cheerily introduce Link. I've been teased about bringing Link home since the minute I arrived in the village and I just know the embarrassment isn't even close to over. Tetra was brutal telling Link I write to her about him. I wanted to stuff a handful of sand in her mouth. She didn't stop relentlessly teasing me as we sat at home either, but I recalled a few mortifying stories of hers to counter the ones she told of me. We all laughed so hard Tetra accidentally spit a mouthful of juice on the table. Payback achieved. Now she has another embarrassing moment that I'll never let her forget.

I push open the wooden door decorated with a colorful hand painted crab and fancy calligraphy writing. My mom's restaurant is exactly as I remember it. The interior is simple, eight tables sit in the dining room with a vase of pretty fake flowers in them, four custom made chairs sit at each table, filled full for lunch time like always. Wide windows with light blue curtains give a wonderful view of Lurelin Bay. On the nearest wall to the front desk are some framed drawings of horses, flowers, the beach and several ocean ones with a sunset, fish, crabs and other sea creatures that Tetra and I drew as little girls. Colorful seashells are attached to the walls along with crab shells as a tribute to the name of the restaurant and potted plants sit in the corners of the room.

Almost every one of the customers stop talking when they see me walk in, leaving the place quiet except for the instrumental music. I put my finger to my lips and point to the kitchen and, magically, nobody speaks a word and several people nod in understanding, just smiling. I walk up to the open archway that leads to the kitchen just as a short blonde lady walks out and stops in her tracks. I grin saying two words.

"Hey mama."

"Zelda!"

A second later the tray of someone's order falls from her hands as she unceremoniously drops it with a gasp, the food splatters all over the floor and a dish breaks. I step over and hug my mom tightly just as she throws her arms around me. We hold each other tightly for at least a full minute and a wet drop falls onto my bare shoulder where my tank top doesn't cover. I cry a little too, so happy to feel my mom's arms around me again. I didn't realize just how much I missed her until this moment. I gently push away and look into my mom's teary green eyes. I have the same ones. Her makeup smears a bit as she dries them.

"My sweet Zelly, why didn't you let us know you were coming? I would have thrown you a welcoming party!"

"I wasn't aware I was coming until two days ago and it just didn't cross my mind to send a letter. Sorry."

"It's alright sweetie. I wish I could drop everything and spend the whole day with you but we're so busy today."

I laugh and take a step back. "It's okay mom. I brought someone special I want you to meet. This is Link." I say, taking his hand and my mom smiles as he holds his left hand out between them before they shake.

"It's wonderful to finally meet the young man who makes my daughter so happy, at least from her two last letters."

"It's an honor to meet you as well, Mrs. Bosphoramus." Link says. I hold back a giggle. Not because he messes up the pronounciation of my last name horribly, but because I've never heard anyone call my mom Mrs. Bosphoramus in my entire life.

"Please, call me Alina. There's no need to be so formal, Link." My mom says with a smile.

My stomach chooses this moment to growl extraordinarily loudly in the silent room and I hear a few people behind me laugh as the three of us do. My mom crosses her arms and grins. "I see your stomach still has a huge mouth of its own, Zelda. What'll it be for lunch? Anything you two wanna eat we'll whip up right away in the kitchen."

"Right after you remake whoever's meal that was, you mean?" I say, pointing down at the floor and everyone laughs.

x.x.x

Link and I sit at a table outside under a sun umbrella on the deck. I'm thankful that the curtains inside are drawn now because when we first walked out here, everyone was looking out the window at us. I've never liked a lot of attention. I feel like I'm under a magnifying glass when people look at me sometimes. It's just like being admired for being a Golden Arrow champion for me: totally uncomfortable.

I look around the village and am surprised at just how little has changed in a year. Link and I are both silent as we listen to the sounds and watch everything I haven't heard or seen in so long: men in the bay fishing, girls giggling as they walk from the north beach with baskets of fruit in the hands, the noon bustle of people walking up to the restaurant for lunch, kids playing on the beach. I feel a strange feeling inside that mixes with the happiness of seeing my family and home again. It's heavy and a bit suffocating as the time goes by. It takes me a few more minutes to decipher just what the feeling is and I feel sick and sad when I figure it out.

It's like I don't belong here anymore.

The peaceful, easy going atmosphere of the village still has the nostalgic homey aura to it, but something just feels off. Even with all the love and welcoming everyone has given me since we arrived, I can't shake the emptiness that confirms one sad fact: I wouldn't be happy here if I stayed now. After traveling so much, seeing such beautiful places, even this gorgeous village can't even measure up to the joy I feel on the road. I look down at my lap and pick at my fingernails trying to push the unfamiliar feeling away.

A minute or two later, I hear my name being shouted loudly and I snap my head up. A huge grin spreads across my lips and all the sadness dissipates the instant I see the bearded face of the man walking up to us. I jump up from the table so fast that I bang my knee on the wooden leg and hiss in pain, painful tears coming to my eyes as I half limp-half run to my dad and throw my arms around him.

"Dad! Oh goddess, I've missed you so much!" I exclaim as my dad squeezes me tightly with a laugh and I enjoy the dad hug that I certainly needed before now. I push away with a grin after several long happy moments and my dad crosses his arms looking to Link then back to me.

"Welcome home, Zel."

"Thank you." I introduce Link to my dad, Rhoam, and they shake hands firmly. My dad stares Link down before says the typical "I hope your treating my daughter well" line I'm expecting. Link answers him with a firm "Yes sir. It's nice to meet you." and his voice wavers in the slightest bit that I almost miss. I smile and break into the conversation after a few more overly serious questions to remove the tension. Link ends up having a few answers that actually make my dad laugh, which can be kind of hard since he's mostly serious, and I feel a lot better that the awkwardness in the air seems to evaporate.

"It's great to see you looking well and healthy, Zel. Your mom has been worried sick off and on, convinced you've been out in the wild starving and barely getting by."

It's so nice to hear my nickname in my dad's voice again. I smile just hearing that. I'm about to answer when I'm interrupted.

"With good reason! She's my baby girl!" I hear my mom say behind us and when I turn, she's holding two plates of food. I feel my cheeks flush when I catch Link's expression at those last words and laugh shakily to brush the embarrassment off. We sit down at the table and I lick my lips at the fresh triple-seafood pie that is my mom's specialty. My stomach growls in anticipation; My mom's cooking is simply the best. I'm so excited to taste my favorite meal again.

She asks Link and I if we need anything else and we both shake our heads and thank her. My dad sits with us after asking my mom for his usual of fried crab and rice -that I'm not shocked hasn't changed- and she puts her hands on her hips and huffs, saying he's eaten the same thing for a week and he'll be getting what she chooses to bring him instead. I giggle, seeing that even my parents' antics about food haven't changed as my mom walks away. I dig in to my meal and let out a happy moan since it's just as delicious as I remember. I catch my dad up on a few of my adventures and he tells me how things in Lurelin have been going.

My dad is the leader of the seafood trade that Lurelin Bay runs. Fresh seafood is traded for materials and foods that we cannot get here in our fishing village due to the climate and sandy terrain, such as rice, fresh non-seafood meats, and some types of dairy. My dad says this year has been so successful that they've had enough money to import supplies by sea to repair the historic old houses and buildings that are just some of Lurelin's treasures. I'm really happy to know everyone is doing so well around here.

I laugh at my parents' bickering when my mom comes out with a plate of baked fish my dad complains to get a rise out of her like he always has. My mom gives him a light punch in the shoulder and kisses his temple affectionately before promising me that we'll all eat dinner as a family later.

When the three of us are done eating, my dad says he's sadly got to get back to work and we hug again and he kisses my hair before telling me I should come say hi to his crew when I've got a chance. Just before he leaves, he asks Link to come along and my boyfriend glances at me I tell him to go with a smirk. I watch the two men walk off wondering just what my dad wants Link for.

x.x.x

I wander around the village for a while until I meet up with Tetra, who says she's free from helping mom for the rest of the day. We decide to take a walk along the beach while we play some more catch up. As we walk past all the men working in the bay Tetra puts her arm over my shoulder as she looks over where our dad and Link are standing.

"My little sister scored herself a hottie. I may need to go on an adventure myself to find myself a man if there's ones like that out there." Tetra says, pointing a finger at Link working with our dad, who is helping with the fishing net with his shirt off. We can see every muscle he's got as the sun shines off his tanned skin. I smile as I silently thank Hylia that he is mine.

The last letter I sent her was before we went to The Great Plateau, so naturally I've got a ton to tell her about. I try not to leave out too many details of my recently very eventful life, giving her the best parts in details and skipping over the little stuff. I start with telling her about meeting Groose and Midna on The Great Plateau, mention all we did up there and our first kiss on the tower, and then meeting up with Anju - who we grew up with - and Kafei again. I gush about me and Link and how our relationship has grown from just friends to love. I tell her how we've been there for each other, the risks I decided to take to support him at the Festival of Warriors, and how he forgave me for keeping my Sheik secret from him. I finish my story with the events that happened while we were in Kakariko and as we traveled down through Faron.

Tetra laughs and loudly teases me relentlessly the entire time I talk like I expect, but I don't mind at all. It feels so nice to talk to my sister like this again, just spilling every little secret and thought I have. We've always had that kind of relationship and I feel light and happy as we walk all the way out to the tip of Cape Cresia, which wraps around the bay of Lurelin Village. We take a break under the palm trees at the end, sitting in the warm sand and laughing scandalously over village gossip like we used to do. On our way back to the village she asks me her most personal question yet.

"Have you two done everything?" I look at her and she mistakes my look as confusion before she adds "You know what I mean." with a smirk. I say nope and she gives me a disbelieving look and asks me if I'm being honest.

"I am. Link and I really haven't done anything except some touching and kissing. I don't know if I'm ready to go further."

"Well, that's not surprising. You always we're too scared to take things all the way."

"Oh shush. I'm not able to just rush into things like that. I need the right amount trust and love to take the next step with someone."

"From what you've just told me, you and Link already have that. What's holding you back, Zelly?

I open my mouth to answer her but I don't know what to say. I look across the bay at the men working over there and happen to find Link standing with my dad, and, once again, get distracted once again as Link isn't wearing his shirt...

Tetra snaps me back to reality by loudly saying my name.

"I-I don't know honestly. I just..." I clear my throat. "Things are different with Link. If we were to take the next step...I'd want it to be special, you know? He's the most amazing person I've ever met. He's not like any other guy. I really love him..." I say, feeling a smile on my face and my cheeks warming.

"You're so cute, Zelly." She says, wrapping her left arm over my shoulders. "I understand where you're coming from here, but you gotta be brave if you want to share everything with him." I glance at her and for once, Tetra's not smirking, winking or anything and her face is straight.

"You're right. Thanks."

I hug Tetra and she laughs, squeezing me back.

x.x.x

Link's PoV

Watching Zelda meet up with her parents I can't help but smile, especially with the cheerful grin and giggles she lets out upon embracing each of them. She's almost always happy, but she practically glows with joy being reunited with them. Meeting her dad isn't as uncomfortable as I imagine until he asks me join him when he goes back to work. I follow and walk beside him, trying to appear as calm and casual as I can, but inside I'm wondering if he's got something awful waiting in store for me as he doesn't speak a word. We stop in front of a crew of ten other men and finally the silence is broken as Rhoam clears his throat.

"This is Link. He's going to be joining us for the rest of today's haul."

Everyone greets me and walks up, a few of them pointing out that they saw me walk in the village with Zelda. When her dad walks ten feet away talking to someone, a few of the younger guys warn me not to get on his bad side. I laugh to brush off the unease that gives me. I end up working right next to Rhoam as we throw fishing nets and bring in fish before loading them onto a small ship with a deep lowered platform filled with six inches of water, which he explains is to help keep them fresh as they're transported to the Akkala region by sea. I meet the ship's captain as well, a balding man called Linebeck, who has a sour mood and a permanent scowl judging by the lines surrounding his lips. He doesn't have much to say before heading back into the ship's cabin, the door shutting loudly behind him.

"Does Linebeck always look like he's got a crab up his ass?" I ask as we walk down the draw bridge to shore.

Rhoam lets out a loud robust laugh and slaps me on the back. "He sure does. I told him that once and he threatened to throw me over the shiny railing of this ship. Can't blame him however, I'd probably be the same way with everything he's been through."

I think of asking what he means by that, but I don't get the chance before he shouts to the rest of his crew that "crabs are next" and we all walk through the village to the more rocky beach. The longer I spend talking to Rhoam, the more I realize that being so intimidated by him earlier was a waste of energy. We laugh with everyone else until mid-afternoon when Linebeck shouts a curt goodbye over the railing and sails his ship full of seafood off.

x.x.x

That afternoon Zelda's mom welcomes us back inside The Rainbow Crab which she's closed up early so we can all have a special, peaceful dinner. Just before Rhoam and Alina bring the food out of the kitchen Tetra leans in toward me and tells me quietly that I must be special if their dad likes me, it's very unusual that he accepts any guy either she or Zelda date. I'm relieved to know as their parents come back into the dining room with full plates of dinner entrees. We take turns passing around the food till we've all got something then Zelda and I recall some of what's happened during our adventures for her parents to hear. They're most interested in our time at the Festival of Warriors and seemingly very impressed with me. I learn a bit more about Zelda's childhood and I talk about mine, leaving out the sad bits obviously, and explain my weapons training and a few funny memories that make everyone at the table laugh.

"Oh I almost forgot! Something absolutely incredible happened while we were at Lake Hylia. There we were, riding our horses across the bridge and Link heard something. When we looked over the edge of the bridge I couldn't believe my eyes." Zelda pauses, and her family stares at her until Tetra ushers her to continue impatiently. "Farosh emerged from the lake right in front of us! He was so beautiful and majestic and..."

Zelda gestures with her hands and her voice raises and lowers as she goes on and on describing the dragon as her mom and Tetra gawk and her dad eats slowly, listening to her enthusiasm. Tetra asks questions and asks me if this actually did happen, her expression and tone of voice in complete disbelief, which clearly annoys Zelda as she crosses her arms at the table staring her sister down. I grin and tell her that it was one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen in my life.

x.x.x

Zelda and I sit in the sand under a palm tree as Tetra stands in the water a few yards ahead of us, the last rays of a gorgeous ocean sunset fading from the sky. We listen as Tetra tells us about this "beach monster" that's been coming near the village late at night for the past few months. She says it comes to the beach across the bay and runs around, which really freaks everyone out. The men who have gone after it have always lost it before getting the chance to corner, kill, or capture it.

"Some people think it's someone screwing with everyone, but we've never found anyone suspicious enough to pin the theory on around during the day. I can say this however, whatever the thing is...it lets out this shrill scream every night that gives me chills." Tetra says, grabbing her forearms and looking uncomfortable. "I'm not usually afraid of things like this, but the noise it makes is so inhuman sounding that-" She cuts off mid-sentence and her eyes go wide before she continues. "Look!"

"What?" Zelda asks as we both look over where Tetra is now pointing a finger. I don't see anything at first but then a shadow moves along the rocky beach and out into the open sand. A strange shaped figure stands in the moonlight, mist surrounding it. I stand up from the bench and squint my eyes but it's too dark now to make out who or exactly what it is I'm seeing in the darkness. The figure walks back and forth and hunches down before throwing up its arms - probably, it's difficult to tell since there isn't any defining shape to it - and a horrific noise cuts through the air. It's undoubtedly the noise that Tetra just described to us. It sounds like the painful wail of a wounded animal and the sound of a wild keese screeching combined, only the volume of it is so magnified that it sounds much closer than it actually is. Zelda grabs my arm and I feel her shaking as she lets out a frightened squeak.

Instead of feeling fear like I probably should, I get a crazy idea. I tell the girls I'm going after the beach monster and both of them are opposed to the idea like I expect. Zelda's voice is snappy as she says it's too dangerous to go after since I have no idea what it is. I gently pull her hand from my arm and walk toward their house where I've left my weapons in the living room along with our belongings, opening the door instead of waiting since both girls are right behind me. They try to talk me out of it telling me not to be stupid but I now have this strange curiosity that is too much to just ignore. I need to go out there. I put on my weapons belt and attach my sword to my back. Zelda stands in front of the door and crosses her arms, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips puckered. She tells me not to go and I put my hands on her shoulders.

"Don't worry, Zel. I'll be fine, I promise. It's not like it's a bear." I say, smirking and trying to reassure and lighten her mood, which does the exact opposite and she growls in irritation.

"Yeah, it could be something even worse for all we know."

"I don't think it is. Trust me, okay?"

Zelda stares into my eyes coldly for several seconds. I'm about to give in and tell her I won't go with how pissed she looks, but then she lets out a sigh.

"Fine. But I'm coming with you." She practically growls.

x.x.x

A few minutes later the three of us are walking slowly along the sand making our way towards Palmorae Beach just east of Lurelin, where we just saw the beach monster a few minutes ago. I walk a few feet ahead of the girls and I can hear Zelda muttering that this is a bad idea and Tetra replying that maybe I'm right and we have nothing to be afraid of. When we get to the area where we saw it, I give all my attention to our surroundings, waiting. It's possible that whatever it is out here is dangerous and I kind of wish that they both stayed behind.

We quietly tread on through the sand until I see something move about fifty feet ahead of us. I hold out my arm and whisper stop and be quiet to the girls. We watch as the monster walks into the low tide of ocean before turning toward us and letting out another shrill scream. This time I do feel a cold shiver creep down my spine. The still shapeless figure steps toward us and I reach back and grab the hilt of my sword, ready to draw it, but instead the monster turns and runs away from us.

"Come on!" I say, looking over my shoulder before I start running down the beach where the thing is retreating. I hear the faint noises of footsteps behind me along with a call of telling me to wait up. We chase it down to where the sand ends in a rocky hillside.

I stop running once I see what we are chasing has nowhere left to run. We've entered a large enclosed area with tall rock walls surrounding us. Zelda and Tetra stop several seconds after me, breathing heavily and keeling over with their hands on their knees. They both give me dirty looks when they catch their breath. I walk inside and squint through the darkness to see the creature crouched down on the ground in a defensive position. Zelda warns me to be careful in a whisper and I draw my sword from its sheath as I inch forward, the sound of my blade sounding much louder in the night air than it should. Even through the dark I can see its face is hairless and its skin is dark. Black eyes stare at me as I slowly walk forward and, without warning, it lets out another earbleeding screech. I stop and cringe as I hear one of the girls shriek behind me and a whimper just after. I don't know what keeps my legs bringing me forward, but I can't stop drawing closer when my whole body is screaming "danger" and my skin is chilled and crawling. The form before me screams and the sound is weaker and sounds much less animalistic than before. I expect it to lunge toward me at any moment but instead it begins to shrink away against the wall, cowering down. I keep my guard up, knowing some animals, if it is one, play the weak card to throw their prey's guard off before they attack. But the closer I get the smaller whatever it is gets.

I raise my sword up ready to defend myself and the creature looks up at me and opens it's mouth, huge hands shooting up quickly before it does something I'm not expecting, throwing me completely off guard.

"Dont hurt me!"

The three words are shouted in a high-pitched squeaky voice before it whimpers and throws itself on the ground, cowering in a misshapen lump of black.

"I won't if you stand up." I answer, shock and confusion washing over me.

A person?

The form before me quickly stands up and I take a few steps back. I hear a whimper come from under their black hood before they step out into an open patch of moonlight away from the mountain wall.

I step forward for a closer look to see the person is a man. Now that I have a better view, it's clear he's wearing a dark cloak that's made of many layers of fabric crudely sewn together, making the shapeless form that he had from a distance make sense. His hood has protruding wooden appendages sticking out of it to appear as horns. His skin is painted a dark greenish color and is covered with strange markings he has drawn on his face in dark red. It's not a wonder why everyone thought this short, pudgy man was some sort of monster.

Tetra stomps past me and stops a foot from the man, her fists clenching at her sides. Her voice cuts through the silent air loud and clear as she practically shouts at him and he lets out a very unmanly shriek and backs up into the wall behind him.

"What kind of messed up man dresses up as a monster to terrorize a village of terrified people for months?! Who are you?!"

"My n-n-name's Kilton." He squeaks out in a rough, screechy voice. Zelda walks slowly past me with her arms crossed. At first I think she's afraid but the look in her eyes is hard and cold as she steps up next to Tetra.

"Well Kilton...I think it's time you reveal yourself to everyone who's been living in fear at night, don't you?" Tetra snaps at him in a scathing tone.

"But it's been so much fun! You can't say I'm not a pretty good monster." Kilton responds sounding almost giddy; his demeanor flipping from that of a scared child to a shameless prankster. Tetra looks like she's about to reach out and strike him.

"You-" Tetra starts, but Zelda cuts her off, putting her hand on her sister's arm.

"Don't you feel bad at all? You should come back the village with us and apologize. It's time you come clean about scaring our friends and family." She says firmly. We all stare him down when he doesn't answer her and Kilton's enthusiasm dies down. He nods slowly with a heavy frown on his heavily painted face.

x.x.x

Zelda's PoV

He's so stubborn! It could have been anything out there. But Link just had to go play hero. I wanted to stop him and tell him the whole time to go back to the village with us, but Tetra had agreed that we should go after I gave in, adding on: Cool down, Zelda. Link's right. The thing needs to be stopped. So I'd had no choice but to go along as there was no way I was staying behind when both my sister and boyfriend were leaving to look for danger. I didn't expect us to actually corner Lurelin's "beach monster."

Kilton chatters on as we walk back to the village telling us about all the places he's gone and played the same prank until he other got bored and moved on to find new people to scare. Apparently, Link is the first person to catch him in the whole two years he's been doing this. I walk beside Tetra as Link laughs and lets Kilton entertain him with all his best scares. I have to admit that he's quite brilliant and brave considering he really has pulled off all the stunts he claims to have.

I suggest that before we get to Lurelin that Kilton wash all his face paint off, but Tetra argues and brings up a good point: Everyone needs to see him as the monster first. When the village comes into view there's a group of men standing on the beach with my dad. They're all talking with weapons in their hands. I stop our small group and propose that me and Tetra go over first as something gives me the feeling they'll react rashly upon seeing the "monster" near us. In agreement, Link stays back out of sight behind a giant boulder with Kilton while my sister and I walk up to the men on the beach.

Our dad cuts off what sounds like frantic search party instructions when he sees us. "...Oh goddess...they're back." He interrupts himself before striding toward us with our mom -who I hadn't noticed till now- jogging behind on his heels. "We heard that monstrosity was seen along the beach and then the two of you van-"

"Zelda! Tetra! Thank Hylia you're both fine! I was worried sick about you two!" Our mom interrupts, shouting with teary eyes, grabbing our shirts and pulling us in for a tight double hug. I instantly feel bad that we didn't tell anyone we were leaving. We both hug back and say sorry. Mom lets us go after several seconds, stepping back before asking me where Link is and I tell her he's up the beach.

"There's something you all should know. The "monster" that's been coming around at night isn't a monster. It's a sick man with a nasty sense of humor. He came with us." Tetra cuts in loudly, her voice full disgust as she stands with crossed arms.

By now, everyone is standing close to us and at this news half of them look shocked. She turns around and calls into the night air for Link and Kilton to come out. A few seconds later the costumed man walks out beside my boyfriend and several of the men raise their weapons protectively as they near closer. Kilton throws his arms up in surrender, his costume hood falling off his head. There are several gasps and angry comments made before a few of the men advance on him, looking like they're going to skewer him with their spears before my dad shouts for them to stop. I'm not surprised when all three of them do; my dad's a highly respected man in Lurelin. He walks tall and broad shouldered with his usual powerful demeanor and stops in front of Kilton, who looks up at my dad before letting out a very audible whimper and appearing to almost literally shrink before him. The rest of the men stand behind my dad holding their weapons, faces held in scowls.

"I'm so s-sorry! Please forgive me!" Kilton shouts throwing himself onto the sand, shaking and looking like he's about to pee himself. My dad forward and grabs Kilton by the mass of layered clothing he's wearing. Kilton shrieks as he's lifted up to his feet. My dad is usually a calm and collected man, but when I walk up and stand next to him, his eyes stare coldly into Kilton's and his jaw is set so hard it could be made of stone as he clenches the other man's cloak in his fist. It's the same look that he gave Tetra and I when we had gotten caught up to no good as kids. The look I used to be afraid of. Our dad is one of the kindest men you'll ever meet, but he's downright terrifying when pissed off. Tears slide down Kilton's face pathetically in the silence and my dad looks like he's about to say something when, unexpectedly, he jerks Kilton up off the ground by and throws him into the ocean. Kilton screams as he flies backwards through the air and lands in a very unceremonious splash of limbs and sinks underwater. Everyone is silent in shock for several seconds before we all burst out laughing as soon as the monster man resurfaces sputtering water and coughing. Paint washed from Kilton's skin, he looks like any other ordinary stout statured man except for his huge nose that takes up half his face. He loses his balance as he stands up and falls backwards into the shallow shore water before righting himself and slowly walking back up onto the sandy beach, his arms hanging limply at his sides and shivering as everyone's laughter continues.

x.x.x

A short while longer Link and I sit with Tetra in front of the giant bonfire set in the middle of the village. Kilton sits across from us in regular, dry clothes telling a wild story that I'm almost positive can't possibly be true. Regardless, a few fishermen have gathered around him to listen as he tells his tale with extreme enthusiasm and wild gesturing of his hands. Most of the villagers agreed that after some very livid scolding from my mom, that being thrown in the ocean had been enough punishment and humiliation to get back at him for pranking and scaring everyone for two months. Actually, more than a couple people thought that Kilton's disguise and prank on the village was quite genius and hilarious after he stood and apologized for his actions.

Anyway, Tetra gets up and says she'll be right back, leaving Link and I sitting on a log bench. The heat of the fire feels nice on my skin mixed with the cool air of the evening. I lean against my boyfriend with a smile on my lips as he wraps his arm around me. I ask Link how working with my dad in the bay was earlier and he laughs, saying it wasn't as bad as he was expecting. I tease him telling him that he looked so nervous walking off with my dad.

"Did you expect that I wouldn't be? This is your dad we're talking about. I have to impress him."

I laugh again. "Yeah, you're right. I hadn't thought of it like that."

Link wraps his other arm around me and squeezes me tight against him before he kisses my forehead, which makes me feel lightheaded and dreamy. A small giggle leaves my mouth and the smile Link gives me makes me melt from how handsome he looks in the low light of the bonfire. I lean forward and kiss him on the lips and then we're making out for maybe a few seconds, several minutes perhaps, just lost in each other until a loud "Ahem!" interrupts us and I break our lip lock with a sigh.

We look over to see Tetra standing there with a smirk on her face. In her right hand she holds a glass bottle with a familiar white label on it and a folded blanket hooked underneath her left arm. Lifting up the bottle she grins mischievously and I remember what happened the last and only other time we drank Ocean Dreams; Lurelin's most potent liquor. Tetra ended up having to drag a very plastered me out of the ocean telling me I wasn't allowed to drown. She wasn't much better off herself. I don't remember much else besides the fact that we both collapsed in the sand and laughed our heads off till our dad came and found us. I don't remember walking back home that evening.

"No way." I say without even thinking about it.

"Seriously? You know you want to have some fun. Link can even join us if he wants to."

I bite my lip and glance at Link, who raises his eyebrows with a smirk of his own that tells me "I know what you're like when you're drunk" and then look back to Tetra, who stares me down expectantly.

I can't deny that it would be fun to make a new drunk memory with my sister…

"Fine." I say, dragging out the word exaggeratedly like I don't want to, pouting, before I smile. Tetra lets out a loud victory woot and shouts "We're going down the beach to get hammered!" as Link and I get up and the three of us walk away from the village.


End file.
